Breathing For Desire
by HollywoodGirl15
Summary: "It would only take one bite..." "I've been damned from the moment I met you..." "I could give you all the power you ever needed...you could avenge Doyle's death..."
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer:** Everything in here that your recognize is clearly not owned by me. It's merely for fun. Please PLEASE leave reviews though, otherwise I don't know what I'm doing right or wrong.

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><p>Dark colors struck the night sky, forcing it to implode on itself as trembling breaths lurked in the dark. Bodies shifted eagerly among the rain, desperate to make their night time commute before the dark completely consumed them. Snarls were heard from dogs as they walked with their owners, ears pulled back and eyes ever searching for something that they weren't truly sure were there. A trembling breath escaped in a white puff as more rain bounced off the street, the third taxi cab in a row pulling away and leaving a void spot in its absence.<p>

Los Angeles had never looked so vacant, so huge, so underestimating. Her shadow trembled along the brick walls, forcing herself further into the large city without care. She had left everything behind; there was no turning back as her feet hit the ground even quicker, sloshing water uncaringly up as she went. Her life had been on the east coast for a great majority, but twenty one and fresh out of high school brought that undeniable calling that all restless women got.

Chastity had too much pride in herself to let that calling go to waste.

A plane ride and a taxi later left her drenched in the heart of California, trembling in shaking fear and anticipation as she made her way along the crowded sidewalks. People didn't even look up as she bit down on her lip, her heart hammering in her chest as she glanced around. More and more traffic was beginning to bloom as the clock edged its way towards nine, the party life coming straight to life underneath her very feet. She had never known such an alive atmosphere, such a rising desire for something more. But the city was a place she had never stepped foot in, and as unfamiliar and threatening faces passed her by, a warning single trembled along her cerebellum, telling her that this was the wrong choice.

But something indubitably pulled her towards Los Angeles, begging for her to be captive of its populated skyscrapers. It wanted her, and it was an alluring feeling that she couldn't just drop at the hint of a dime. The feeling sent a trembling desire through her, outweighing the fear that trembled down her shaking spine. But Chastity refused to turn around—she simply couldn't when she had made it this far.

Pulling in a deepening breath, she took another step further as the rain crashed down harder. Her designer jacket that had been a farewell gift from New York tore out with another blast of icy wind trembled around her. Swallowing hard, Chastity forced herself down another block, her eyes rapidly scanning for the hotel that she had been dutifully assigned. The rain slushed around her open toed heels rapidly, forcing a smug form of regret to tremble through her aching limbs.

Heels had never been her best friend, and yet she told herself to wear them in order to make a good impression before she had left on her flight. But at the rate she was going, she would need waders instead of platforms.

The block gave way to a luxurious hotel just a few more side streets away. A smile filtered across her face before she pulled herself together. Her steps became faster in the dead of the night, watching as more and more partiers ran past her. Bottles of rum were in their hands, vodka in some others as they jogged past her, screaming nonsense at her, most of it sexist of her in her heels and jacket. A few had even had the audacity to wave money in her face, her smile turning down as she quickly looked away and hurried her way along.

Just shy of a block from the hotel, her heel caught in the sidewalk of the street, her heel cracking on contact as the glue had easily come loose in the downpour. She frowned to herself, quickly grabbing her shoes off and with a disgusted look, forcing her bare feet to make contact with the concrete. Chastity was vaguely aware of what germs lurked there, but she kept her jaw squared as she neared a group of men parting.

Paying no attention to their drunken cries, she made it easily to the hotel doors. Pushing them open, she left their antics behind her as she made her way up to the reception desk, watching as a few people flittered between flights in the upscale hotel establishment.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" The receptionist didn't look thrilled to have her, and she pushed it back to the fact that it was now nearing towards midnight.

"I have a reservation for Chastity," the words were calm and thought out, her eyes darting to the clock on the wall. It ticked closer and closer, her fingers itching at her hem line out of nerves. A loud ding ran throughout the entire hotel as the clock finally struck, the receptionist looking even more nervous as she quickly threw the keys at Chastity and nodded to the stairs.

"There's your room information. I'd get into it quickly if I were you, and not come out until dawn." She gave no more words of advice, simply grabbing her bag and quickly walking out the door, leaving the lobby vacant. Chastity couldn't help but notice the unnatural silence that suddenly fell over the hotel, leaving her chest pounding in horror movie fear.

Without thinking about it, she reached down and grabbed her suitcase that she had been carrying. Quickly making her way up the stairwell, she didn't bother to look back at the slamming doors as she made her way to her room.


	2. Midnight Snack

A soft clash erupted through the doors, the body flying effortlessly through the darkened hallways. The solo light swung from above, teetering ever so slightly at the disturbance. Chuckling, the bandits moved in, their faces contorted in their own ravaging blood lust. Their leader lifted his head to the air, inhaling once and grinning to himself as the sweet intoxication ran through his veins.

"Take any floor you'd like boys, the hotel is booked." The gravelly voice only earned growls in approval, their own contorted faces already booking for the staircase that cracked underneath their weight. He chose to wait, examining the front lobby a while longer as his minions broke out in mayhem.

It only took moments before the screams hit his ears, a please smile working its way onto his face. The intoxicating aroma slowly filtered down to his awaiting senses, the screams growing louder and louder as they made their way up the floors. A growl began to rumble in his chest, escaping through his lips as he darted up the stairs in order to join in on the feeding frenzy.

The guests that checked in at the Renada Hotel were utter morons as far as he was convinced. The structure itself was conducted in the 1980s, and served as a breeding ground for newly sired vampires. A legend went way back that none of them could remember, but no matter how much garlic was put out on the doors and the desk, it wouldn't deter the vampires from their true calling. With so many guests on nearly six floors, it was easy to put a meal tag with a number, was easy to break the lock that the pitiful mortals seemed to think would keep them out.

Every member of the staff knew that the lock wouldn't keep them out; they could be rarely seen after the clock struck midnight. They simply clocked out as if it had been a normal shift, rushing out the doors before the clock got any further. Their bags were strapped hard to their chests, their eyes never looking back on the innocent guests that they had doomed. History could not be changed once it was truly embedded, and with a guilty conscience they left the place locked up with the best intentions.

If they looked back in the morning and the lock was still intact it would be a miracle.

His eyes trained themselves on the rooms where the doors were already busted down. The head male in the group had already broken in several doors, the last of the screams dying out as his teeth dug into the female's neck. She would make a lovely addiction to the population, no doubt being destroyed the first night she breathed in her new senses. Most of the sired here didn't make it as long as their leader would've hoped, but he had no complaints to the delicious meal that they provided.

As far as he was concerned, you got what you paid for when it came to feeding.

Only the most ritzy of people actually made reservations at the hotel, the rooms upward to nearly five hundred a night in some suites. But people viewed the establishment as rich history, where their parents and grandparents once had slept and desired to achieve a part of their family history. They did no research, just simply bought and grabbed a plane ticket out to what they perceived as the Hollywood version of Los Angeles. Most of them didn't know about the dirty underground world that they refused to believe in.

But seeing isn't always believing.

His feet carried him further down the hallway, towards the staircase that led to the sixth and final floor of the building. Ears sharply tuned to the stammering silence, he put the fifth floor behind him as a growl erupted behind him; another one of his minions had found their first meal. A grin slid into place upon his dry lips, bustling further into the silence and mentally counting the numbers on the doors. The last door on the left would be his first meal, as he carefully conducted a mental system that had drawn him towards it. The even number at the very end was always the lucky first number, slowly dwindling towards the fresher prey towards the stairwell.

-

Chastity awoke with a start as a sudden loud noise trembled hard enough to rock her uneven bed. She sat upward, staring wide eyed at the room around her. For a moment the walls seemed to vibrate with an undisclosed energy, her heart hammering loud in her chest as the sound came again, followed by a startled scream and a sickening gurgle that she couldn't quite place. All she could place was the churning of her stomach, her shaking finger tips quickly tugging the bedspread away from her body.

A blast of cold air hit her as she placed her feet firmly on the ground, reaching out to grab the nearest object that she could wield as a weapon. She pulled the knife closer to her body, biting down hard on her lip as she quickly made her way towards the door. The sounds were becoming closer and more rapid now, her heart slamming harder in her chest and making her lightheaded in her utter fear. Struggling to keep it down, she swallowed hard once before edging the door open as quietly as she could.

The sounds were amplified times a million, she realized, now that the door was merely opened a crack. It was vibrating a mere ten feet from her door, her eyes widening as she watched the red spray erupt on the once light pink floral wallpaper. Her lungs burned as she refused to utter a breath, her heart slamming even harder against her ribcage. Slowly, she edged her head around the crack, desperate to prepare herself for whatever was quickly making its way toward her.

His face lit up her vision, contorted and in what appeared to her as anger. Blood dripped from his teeth and onto his chin, soaking his shirt as a grin lit up his yellow eyes. Her eyes widened as he stalked his way closer, slamming the door open straight across from her room. The scream nearly shattered her ear drums before it was abruptly silenced, the need to run slamming into her body at full speed as she struggled to keep her scream in.

Her feet padded silently over the red stained carpet as she jumped over bodies laying motionless, two teeth sized holes bit into their necks. Eyes widening to the size of saucers, she skidded to a stop at the stairwell as snarls and growls filled her every senses. Gasping quietly to herself, she quickly made to turn around, screaming as she came face to face with the terror she had witnessed only a mere two minutes prior.

"Hello, darling." His voice was a seductive purr that was almost pleasant to listen to, but the stench rising from him sent her heart stopping for a brief moment. He grinned, letting all of his teeth show as blood dripped from his fangs. Her eyes widened in horror as she quickly made to move around him, her pulse reverberating in his ears.

Snarling once, he easily cut her off as his hand reached out and grasped her arm. The pain was unbearable as he put all his strength into it, her choking gasp a delight to his ears as she struggled against his grip. Yanking her upwards to his face, he grinned in amusement as her eyes widened even further and her feet struggled to kick at him.

Screwing her eyes shut from the horror that trembled through her body, she kicked with all of her might against his chest. Guard let down, his body stumbled a few paces out of sheer surprise. It gave her all the room she needed, quickly getting out of his grasp and taking on a full out run as she headed for the door at the end of the hallway.

He growled low in his throat, wiping at the blood dripping down his chin. "I never liked the ones who ran…" Launching himself into full on attack mode, his footsteps fell faster behind her own as the door to the fire escape shut just seconds before he got there.

Chastity quickly ran down the flights of stairs towards the beaming red exit sign that hung above the stairs. Her heart felt as if it were ready to jump out of her chest, her eyes fighting back tears at the horrors she had witnessed. She could hear his footsteps just inches behind her own, the pure instinct to fight the only thing keeping her running. The door was only a few paces ahead, her fingers latching out and punching the hatch down quickly.

The cold air of Los Angeles was welcoming to her entirely too hot body. Her breaths came in short, hard pants as she ran to the edge of the escape, her hope slowly deflating as she viewed the broken metal between the sixth and fifth floors. Her heart pounding unnaturally hard in her ears as she heard the metal creak behind her, knowing full well that he had caught up and she had nowhere to run.

"Now where to, princess?" He chuckled deep in his throat, snarling as the amusement fell from his face. His stomach was rumbling, her intoxicating pulse filling his ears as he subconsciously licked his lips. She stammered once, taking a step backward and glancing over her shoulder as the metal edging creaked beneath her feet.

"Enough of these games!" His snarl was loud enough to fill her ears as she screamed into the dead of the Los Angeles night, listening to her own voice echo around buildings as she awaited the blow. Her feet trembled back, falling off the edge as she screamed out louder.

The blow from him never came as her arms wrapped around the metal stairwell that she could reach. Her eyes were wide in uncontrollable fear, her body shaking stupendously as a grunt filled her ears. Slowly turning her eyes upward, she watched as a composed man blocked her attackers blows left and right, before a sudden wooden stake flew from his hands and straight into the space where his heart should have been.

Watching in horrific disbelief as the man trembled to dust before her eyes, she swallowed in utter terror as her fingers began to slip and the new man turned his gaze upon her.


	3. Trustworthy Funds

"Give me your hand!"

The Irish accent rung around her ears for a brief moment as her death grip on the metal grew. It creaked in protest, desperate to drop her onto the dirty Los Angeles ground without a care. Chastity squeezed her eyes shut, tightening her arms around the metal even more as she felt it begin to give way underneath her weight. A hum of growls and yelps were fornicating from inside the building, forcing her instincts to try and let her drop to the next fire exit in order to survive.

The man above her groaned in irritation, pocketing the stake quickly and getting onto his knees. Bracing his fingers in the small holes of the metal, he leaned forward, lunging his hand out as far as it would go. Chastity refused to let go, her eyes hardening as she watched his movements. Her own breaths came in soft pants, the metal creaking further and dropping her a solid inch as she glanced around.

They had been at this conversation for nearly twenty minutes now, Chastity desperately trying to find a way that led away from the stranger. If she could angle her body just right and fall at the precise angle, she could land on the fifth level fire escape, and run the rest of the way away from the hotel. But the odds of that happening the way she saw it in her head were extremely slim, and the more realistic outcome was that she would fall victim to the streets of Los Angeles the very night she had arrived.

Glancing back up at the now annoyed looking stranger, she carefully untucked her hand from the metal bars. His shoulders squared ever so slightly as he braced himself for any trickery, his own hand wrapping around hers as he stood up in one swift movement. Her body slammed ungracefully against the sharp ends, a soft cry of irritation leaving her lips as she was slowly pulled up to safety.

Stooping down ever so slightly, he helped the girl up, watching his surroundings carefully with one hand tucked closer to the stake in his pocket. She eyed him up carefully as she slowly stood with his aid, her arm wrapping around the cut marks in her shirt as she glanced away. Clearing his throat once and brushing his pants off, he offered his hand out once more. "Name's Doyle."

Chastity eyed his hand once, awaiting some devious plot like the others were so spectacular at conducting. When his eyebrow rose up in questioning, she quickly shook his hand, mumbling her name beneath her breath as the cold air and rain swept up once more. Doyle chuckled as she shivered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get you to safety, eh?"

The actual walk inside left chills up her spine, the scent of blood fresh and trembling as her own blood coated her fingers. She forced herself to pull in a deep breath, trying to get a hint of cologne from the man beside her, but nearly coughing the air back up when the raw stench of alcohol hit her lungs. Scowling quietly to herself, she wrapped her arm harder against her stomach, wincing as the wet metallic feeling rushed over her.

Bodies coated the hallway that she had once run through, more than what had been there previously. Her stomach churned ever so slightly at the sight of blood dripping from the two holes in their neck onto the once beautiful carpet. Biting down on her lip, she subconsciously moved closer to Doyle as her pulse pounded in her head, the stench of blood making her heart slow and her mouth become filled with cotton. Never in her life had she witnessed such a gruesome event.

Her feet shook with every step that she took, stepping over bodies and mumbling a silent prayer towards them. Doyle didn't question her motives at all, simply kept his eyes forward as the snarling began to die down the closer they got to the stairwell. Her apprehensive body met his calm fingertips as they began their decent down the stairs. More bloodshed than she was ready to see coated every inch of the fifth floor, her heart pounding as her socks became a towel for the dead.

"Don't think about it," the Irish accent lit her ears on fire once more, her head snapping in his direction as her scowl deepened. Doyle simply chuckled, shaking his head. "It's your call princess. I'm just trying to do my job here."

Chastity glared at him, delivering and abrupt elbow to the stomach as Doyle doubled over momentarily. Growling slightly, he rolled his eyes as he walked in front of her the next few steps, pulling in harsh breathes as they slowly made their way to the first floor.

As they rounded the corner, Chastity was forced to abruptly duck as a stake flew past her head at a girls hands, nearly taking out the guy fighting near the wall. His eyes widened, turning up to her as she quickly staked the guy in front of him, watching the attacker turn to dust. A pleased look filtered onto her lips, her lips moving to blow off the smoke on her invisible gun.

The guy glared, rubbing at his eyes as a frustrated groan erupted from his lips. "Everleigh, what did I tell you about that? I'm not your enemy. You have to be more careful with where you're openly throwing those things. You get entirely too overzealous; I thought Doyle was you?"

"Excuse me, I am training here. She just chooses to go crazy when she's fighting the demon world." Doyle chuckled low in his throat as the man glared at him, eyes instantly softening when he viewed the girl at his side. She quickly stepped closer to Doyle subconsciously, trying to find a moment of safety among the harm and gruesome acts that she had just witnessed.

He chuckled as he watched the taller man walk over, trench coat blowing slightly with the movements. Nudging Chastity closer, his eyes rose up over the man's shoulder and at the brunette standing next to the blonde. Saying nothing more and nudging her straight in front of the man that Chastity gathered he worked for, Doyle headed past him and towards the girl, straightening his shoulders and putting on a smile despite the bruise beginning to form around his eye.

Everleigh rolled her eyes, crossing her arms against her chest as she watched the exchange between the two. She turned her attention to her boss, raising her eyebrow as the girl gave him a fleeting smile, her body language clearly saying that if given the opportunity she would run. "She's going to run, Angel."

Chastity shot Everleigh the best glare she could muster given the situation. She cocked her head to the side, pressing harder against her stomach as she watched Angel through guarded eyes. "Angel? Isn't that a bit of a girly name?"

Angel's eyes darkened slightly before he withdrew his outstretched hand, tucking his arms neatly together and leaning against the wall. "And what's your name? You look like a Sarah to me."

"Chastity, actually." A smug look overtook her nature, her body suddenly feeling at ease around him. Angel nodded once to himself before glancing back at Doyle, clearing his throat and nodding to Chastity.

"Any injuries, bites?" The second inquiry fell off his tongue entirely too fast, a chuckle escaping Doyle's lips as he shook his head.

"She's all clear man, just a few scrapes from the fire escape outside. She'll be find with a bit o' cleansing and maybe some band aids. I'd keep my distance though if I were you. You know the whole blood thing." His eyes no longer remained on Angel, slowly trailing to where Chastity was holding her stomach. A fierce blush lit up her cheeks, a soft '_hmph_' falling from her lips as she began to head for the door.

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you. They're going to be roaming the streets like animals ravaging for blood. You're better off coming with us and then Doyle'll take you home once the sun rises." Angel's words ran together for a moment before he quickly composed himself, not meeting the girls eyes as the awkward atmosphere returned.

Chastity eyed him, crossing her arms tighter and exposing the smallest dribble of red slowly excreting from her wound. Angel's eyes instantly drew themselves to the line of red, the intoxicating smell filling each and every sense he had, his brain beginning to go on haywire. The scent was more powerful than anything he had ever smelled, and he could practically feel his fangs slowly sliding out to ravage the girl in front of him. His eyes honed in, his entire body faulting and becoming tense. His knees began to crouch, his tongue subconsciously shooting out to lick at his bottom lip in preparation.

Doyle's hand shot out, clamping him hard on the shoulder and bringing him back to reality. Angel's eyes widened, quickly yanking back from the man as he quickly turned. He began his descent towards the door, her invigorating scent filling every single ounce of his memory capacity.

The building wasn't anything Chastity had thought that she'd see when she walked in. The small apartment building was more than disgusting to her taste, her nose curling up slightly at the grime and dirt that littered every inch of the small capacity. _Angel Investigations_ written in a sign was shabbily placed on the door, her eyebrow quirking up at the simplicity of it all.

She was big on first impressions, and Angel Investigations hadn't made the best on her.

Angel had disappeared shortly after they had arrived at the building, stating that Doyle, Cordelia, and Everleigh would take care of her, people who she was never even properly introduced to. Her eyes quickly darted around the building once more before looking back at the two girls staring at her, and the one man staring at the brunette. She could feel the atmosphere radiating off of them, her brain slowly registering a typical romance that only burned at one end.

"So I'm expected to stay here the entire night?" Chastity was beginning to feel more like this was a hostage situation by the look at it, and the unnerving anxiety building up in her body was forcing her to begin pacing in small circles.

"Unless you want to be the vampire's next meal, your blood looks sweet enough…" The sarcastic voice belonged to Everleigh, and she quickly labeled her inside of her mind with a person to stay clear of. Something was different about her that she didn't like, and she quickly stopped her pacing and stared at her, not ready to back down in the situation.

"Vampire? Like all fangs, 'I drink blood', fictional shit?" Chastity actually let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head and throwing her hands up into the air. "You guys are on some seriously good drugs. Los Angeles is even more vindictive than I thought."

"So you don't believe in what the fuck you just seen?" Everleigh pushed herself off of the sofa, forcing Doyle to sink down into the seat and Cordelia to follow. She quickly removed herself from his side with a look of disgust, watching the situation unravel.

"I'm sure I was just delirious from lack of sleep or something," Chastity sounded absolutely positive of her answer, and Everleigh let out an annoyed laugh, walking closer to the girl. She wasn't easily intimidated, but the way Everleigh presented herself frightened Chastity a small amount. She cocked her hip to the side with her arms crossed, staring straight into Chastity's eyes.

"If you don't believe in it, then go back out there. Find another hotel, please. And while you're at it, rid us of your utter and completely stu—"

"That's enough, Everleigh." Doyle's voice broke the tension, her mouth immediately shutting as she glared right back at the newcomer. He patted her shoulder before forcing her back, shaking his head.

"I'm going to go check on everyone's favorite brooder. While I'm gone, for the love of God don't kill the new girl, Everleigh. I know how your temper can get."

"I can't make any promises," she snarled at Chastity before moving back more, slamming the door to the private office. The entire apartment vibrated with the sound, Chastity's eyes widening slightly as Doyle shook his head.

"Ignore her, she's a bit of a hot head at times. Cordelia'll keep you company. There's day old coffee in the maker, and for your own sake, don't go in that office. You might not be a vampire, but I'm sure she could destroy you in a second. I doubt she'd even care about Angel's approval."

Chastity stepped away from the desk more, setting the business card back down before glancing back up at him. "What does Angel's approval have to do with anything?"

"He decides who lives or dies princess, so I'd stay on his good side."


	4. Brooding Type

The elevator slowly crawled down the shaft, the gates nosily rattling. It was easily drowned out by the thrumming rhythmic punches falling against the vinyl material. Cautious eyes watched as the fists landed hard punches square to the middle of the target, the chain rattling nosily overhead as the wall dented in with the force of the bag colliding backwards. The set determination on his face raised the red flag that bred warnings to turn around, but the onlooker merely chose to hold his ground effortlessly. He knew he was in no real danger, anyway.

"You hidin' out from your feelings again?"

Angel stopped his training for a brief moment, glancing up at Doyle who wore a smug look on his face. Rolling his eyes, he delivered a strong round house kick to the bag. It flew off of its chains, landing on the opposite side of the room with a loud bang. Doyle flinched slightly away from the contact, his body moving closer to the door as Angel threw a towel around his neck. He slowly stalked over to his friend, his eyes darting nervously around the room. "I'm not hiding out from anything."

"I saw the way you looked at her. You looked at her like you used to with Buffy. You see potential in her, don't you?" Doyle's arms crossed against his chest as Angel's eyes darkened at the mention of his ex, his body swiftly moving towards the other side of the room to pick the punching bag up.

"She has potential, but she's not as powerful as you're assuming." Reaching up, he easily applied it back to the hook. Stepping back, he stretched his hands upward, before slowly moving his body to the side, arching his side in an elegant stretch as the half demon rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't matter if she has potential. I know you saw something else, just by the way your eyes darted to her stomach. You smelled her blood and it woke up some cravings in ya, didn't it?" Angel quickly pulled himself back up, tensing at the memory that flooded into his brain quickly. Swallowing hard as the unquenchable thirst suddenly slammed into his throat, he pulled in a cleansing breath through his nose before shaking his head.

"She's got a different aroma to her…something that I've never smelled before." He moved his frame to the window, subconsciously knocking down a photographic of Buffy as he went. Doyle's eyes moved to the face down photograph and back to his boss, a sweep of premonition running up his spine, forcing him to shiver in the heat of Los Angeles. "I need her to stay away from me, that craving's entirely too strong..."

It only took Angel a mere two weeks to realize that Chastity was an endangerment to his sanity.

Like he had when the business took off, Angel kept a close eye on the relationships between his workers. He could see the radiating tension between Everleigh and Chastity, the undying love behind Cordelia's eyes when she found a fashionable pair of shoes perched on the newcomers' feet. They had gone through an entire regiment of trying each other's shoes on, making the office into a makeshift catwalk as they strutted down it. He had nearly lost his patience that day, and judging from the way Everleigh was sharpening a stake, he knew she was beginning to get to her sanity as well. But Doyle refused to let Angel let go of her, his hushed whispers of premonition enough to force Angel's hand.

Angel wasn't a heavy believer in the fact that the Powers That Be could have a reason for Chastity nearly becoming vampire food. He simply believed in the fact that she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, promised a fancy hotel and a grand time her first night in Los Angeles and only to end up running for her life. But Doyle's visions were coming more and more prominently, forcing Angel to give faith to his friend as he watched him suffer through each and every one.

The dark nightfall trembled around him as he glanced at the paper messily scribbled on, the dully headache forming in his temples as Chastity popped her gum out of sheer nerves. Stake clutched tight in her hands, her eyes wondered around nervously as they walked down the darkening alleyway, the sounds of the city slowly fading behind her and forcing her heart to pump harder. Her adrenaline pounded into her shaking fingers, a blood curling scream forcing her to bite down on her lip hard to keep from having her own add to it.

Angel disappeared before her eyes, her fingers reaching out at the thin air as he appeared behind the vampire. The vampire scowled, bringing his elbow backwards as he threw his feed to the ground, the blood seeping out of her neck as she cried softly in the night. Chastity fell to her side, grabbing her first aid kit and quickly pressing a towel to it, giving the victim a weak smile. "Angel Investigations, you're safe now."

The girl said nothing as her eyes began to roll backwards, Chastity's eyes widening in sheer fear. She heard a sickening crack of a skull behind her, a tremor racing down her spine as she turned her head over her shoulder. Angel's body crumpled against a building, his eyes closed for a brief moment as Chastity forced herself up, a soft mumble of his name leaving her lips.

She grabbed the vampire's arm, forcing him around to face her as his contorted face growled out at her. "You'll be a better feeding seeing as you disturbed mine, little girl."

Chastity glared, bringing her fist back and striking him straight across the jaw as she felt her hand cramp up at the sheer hit. Swallowing hard as the vampire turned his attention back to her, he snarled deep in his throat before lunging at her, forcing her down on the ground as her feet desperately moved for contact. His mouth was getting closer and closer to her neck, her body finally catching its ground, right foot connecting square with his stomach as he rolled over onto the cold pavement, clutching his stomach.

Yanking a stake from her back pocket, Chastity kicked him hard in the stomach once more, forcing him over onto the back before she drove the stake into his heart. His face contorted into pure shock before he screamed out, disappearing in a vanish of dust as she stood over the spot triumphantly, a large, satisfied grin on her face. Dusting her pants off, she pulled the stake back into her pocket as her body turned to help her fallen boss up.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders, forcing her around and into a wall with a sickening crack as she screamed. Her spine felt as if it had been lit on fire, her head bouncing hard off the dumpster cover as she quickly covered the bleeding gasp. The snarls were enough to tell her what had happened, her heart hammering in her chest as her vision spun. She clawed desperately for her back pocket, bile starting to form in her throat as her mind spun in a dizzy sickness.

A hand reached out as a loud snarl filled the alleyway, so close to her ear that she could smell the metallic stench of blood on his lips. The vampire easily lifted her up, slamming her back down against the metal dumpster hard enough to indent it as she held back her pained scream. Five surrounded her in total, the stake digging into her back as they moved closer, eager lips being wetted by devil tongues as blood already dripped from their tainted mouths. Her eyes widened as she tried to flip onto her side, her left shoe making contact with the fourths' chest, her body painfully pulling itself into a standing position.

The move proved fatal as the leader reached out, yanking her legs back as she felt a sickening pop in her lower half before her head slammed hard against the dumpster, her vision blacking out for a moment before she came back to her stammering senses. Her feet struggled to get free, a louder snarl overtaking theirs as her eyes widened.

Angel's fist connected with the back of the leaders head, forcing his body to stumble into the dumpster before he grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Yanking him away, his body slammed into the brick wall on the other side of the alleyway, a stake following the assault as the vampire turned down to dust. The other vampires quickly trembled in vengeance for their leader, greedily attacking Angel. His arms quickly knocked them to the ground, the screams of the dead filling her ears as her eyes closed once more, her head spinning more rapidly.

The alleyway suddenly fell silent, the sounds of the city rushing in faster than ever. "Chastity, are you okay?"

Angel's fingers reached out, gingerly touching her forehead to assess the damage, a snarl flooding through his lips as he quickly coiled back. Her blood tainted his fingers as she slowly pulled her body up to a shaking sitting position. He had his back to her, his yellow eyes turned down at the smeared blood on his fingertips. His throat burned with an ache he hadn't felt in centuries, his mind quickly clouding as his tongue subconsciously darted out against his dry lips.

"Angel—"

"Stay away from me," he growled out, his body turning without thinking of its actions. Chastity's eyes widened, a scream of fear flooding through her lips as she quickly got to her feet. The stammering pain was blocked out by a fearful adrenaline, her heart pounding harder in her ribs as blood trembled down her forehead. His yellow eyes went to it, a hungry pain erupting in his stomach as the overwhelming temptation trembled throughout his entire body, forcing him to shake in the effort to stop himself.

"You're one of them!" Her accusing words nearly knocked her to her senses, her body clenching in fear. She said no more words, the fear filling her body entirely too much for her to ignore. On dislocated limbs she ran as fast as she could to the nearest safe place, the scent of her intoxicating blood filling every one of Angel's keen senses.

He looked down at the blood beginning to dry on his fingers, the trembling need entirely too much for him to simply ignore. His tongue swept out against the skin, the aching need increasing in him as he fell back against the wall, snarling in utter need.

Blood lust trembled through his body in hot red flashes, his stomach in pain as his face contorted once more before he forced it back to human form. He fell back against the ground, staring up at the sky and feeling the dull shakes of the withdrawal trembling through his aching body.

He knew his mistake entirely too clearly; he had tasted human blood once more, and that undeniable feeling of her intoxicating taste filled his ever last vein. He knew that he had sealed his fate from the moment his tongue had darted out against cold, unloving flesh.

It left him with an undeniable craving that made his stomach churn, his eyes glancing to the dead girl near the dumpster. She had been sucked dry by all claims, his reddening vision slowly dying down as he punched the ground next to him in utter hatred.

"What have I done…"


	5. Seeking Solace

A trembling gasp of air ran through desperate lungs, trying to fathom the decision upon her young, shaking hands. Her breath was beginning to catch in her lungs, her head spinning in a dizzy anxiousness as she desperately tried to seek shelter from her churning mind. She couldn't see five feet in front of her, the blurring vision beginning to be too much. Gathering up the last of her strength, she pushed herself inside of a phone booth, catching her breath momentarily with a palm to her aching forehead.

Her lungs ached for oxygen as his yellow-eyed face danced behind her rapidly blackening vision. Legs shaking uneasily underneath her, she vaguely became aware of a serious injury that made her entire lower half ache. She knew she couldn't run or even walk for much longer, and the feeling of entrapment ran up her spine. Swallowing hard, she reached into her pocket, digging out the necessary quarters before entering the number that she had recited by heart for nearly two weeks.

The phone rang once, twice, made the weirdest and heartbreaking noise she had ever heard, then sprung back to life with another ring. She could hear the receiver being taken off its hook vaguely through the static line. _"Angel Investigations, you in trouble, we help at a low flat rate—Cordelia, this sounds like absolute nonsense. Nobody's going to listen to the entire ramble!_"

"_Well you aren't meant to be picking up the phones! You practically lunged at it!"_ A soft thud echoed on the other end as Chastity pulled in a deeper breath, trying to force down the nausea in her stomach. His face was flooding her vision entirely too quick, her heart pounding obnoxiously hard as she tried to focus on the bickering on the other line.

"Doyle," she forced the word out, her throat feeling dry and her voice faint. The conversation on the other end immediately stopped as the receiver was pulled back to his jaw, Cordelia eyeing him with worry as Chastity struggled to keep her body upright.

"_Chas? What the hell happened to you? Where's Angel?"_

The very mention of his name made her blood run cold as her head spun faster, "I don't know and I don't care. He's…he's one of them Doyle. And I'm bloody and I can't feel half of my body. I need you or Cordy to pick me up—"

She could hear him rustling on the other end as he made notes on a piece of paper, her body forcing itself to breathe as her legs nearly gave out once more. Faintly, she heard Doyle call through the receiver that he'd be there shortly, her vision swimming with blackness as he body finally collapsed against the glass walls that trapped her. The phone slipped from her hand, her mind blacking out as she fell motionlessly to the booth floor.

"Chastity? Hello?" Groaning in utter irritation, Doyle hung the phone up as Cordelia eyed him apprehensively. A keen sweat was starting at his brow, his teeth chewing into his bottom lip; all of which signs pointed to the fact that he was legitimately worried. It sent a course of action through her stomach, her body rising out of its own inclination, walking towards him as he messily scribbled details down.

"What'd she want?" Her fingers landed on his shoulder, brushing the hair away from his neck as his body tensed and he glanced up at her. Giving her a fleeting smile, he shook his head.

"Guess she found out Angel was a vampire; we all forgot to mention that detail to her. She must've gotten pretty banged up but she's not around him at all. I'm beginning to wonder if he went after her," Doyle's fingers found his forehead, rubbing at his temples in irritation as he stood up to his full height. Leaning against the desk, he gave Cordelia a fleeting smile. "Looks like I get to go play the hero, princess."

She let out a scoff of disgust, crossing her arms against her chest. "You? Play hero? More like play the zero. Your body type's all wrong for the role, Doyle."

He chuckled low in his throat, shaking his head as he grabbed his jacket from the chair. Pulling his arms through it and adjusting it, Doyle snatched the paper from the desk. Waving it in front of Cordelia's face for a moment, he let out a chuckle. "You always know how to just raise my confidence, don't you?"

Cordelia let out a soft laugh, "I'm just honest. What would you do without me?"

Doyle rolled his eyes as he opened the door, calling over his shoulder. "I'd probably be lost, princess."

He made his way down the flights of stairs, ignoring the soft chortle of her heavenly voice as it floated through his ears. He bit down on his bottom lip, letting out a chuckle and shaking his head. "Doyle old buddy, you've got to get your head out of the clouds…"

Sitting in the car, he pulled in a deep breath before plugging the keys into the engine. It roared to life underneath him, a peaceful smile flooding onto his lips. If there was any legend that was true, it was that an engine could calm down any boys' racing mind. Shifting it into drive, he slowly made his way out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road. Traffic instantly greeted him, despite it being near three am, a frustrated groan slipping through his lips as his fingers fumbled aimlessly with the old fashioned radio installed in the dash.

"…_a girl was found murdered in the alleyway along Youngs and Jamison, severe neck trauma being the cause as determined by authorities. They are urging women to walk in pairs and to stay off the streets at the moment until the murderer has been caught. If you know any information, please contact the Los Angeles police department…"_

The newscast cut out abruptly as Doyle's blood ran cold, his eyes staring in disbelief at the static flooding through the car. He quickly hit the power dial once more, his heart racing in his chest as he closed his eyes tightly for a moment. She had said she was bleeding, that Angel had showed himself. The area was the part of town that he had saw his vision in just hours prior, his breath pulling itself into his lungs hard.

Carefully veering himself along onto the sidewalk, he ignored the promises of a ticket as he quickly floored it, heading down the side street and towards Youngs as his heart slammed entirely too hard inside of his ribcage in utter fear.

As the car pulled itself into the alleyway at Youngs, his eyes widened at the body outline lying against the dumpster. The authorities had already been there already, his eyes scanning for any clues that they more than likely missed. Blood was splattered against the wall, dumpster, and the cement beneath his shoes. He took a few staggering steps forward, eyes training themselves even more against the blood splatter patterns. Fingers reaching out, he traced the area around them, taking a mental measurement as he turned his body around.

Screaming out as he was greeted with a large body, he slowly placed his hands back against the wall as his heart threatened to pound straight out of his chest. "Angel man, give a man some warnin'!"

Angel's face didn't move a muscle, his jaw set as he glanced at the blood spatter behind Doyle's head. His eyes moved along every inch of it, his head spinning at the mere sight of blood as he slowly backed away. Doyle's brows drew in closer together, his careful eyes analyzing the vampire's entire body before the words slowly echoed out of his mouth. "What did you do to her?"

Angel's eyes widened, flashing absolute shock and a mirror of hatred as a low growl escaped his lips. "I didn't do anything to her."

"Then where is she? She called clearly all upset about seeing who you really were then the line went dead!" Doyle gave him a minor shove backwards, knowing that if he took it further and appeared to be looking for a fight that Angel could easily destroy him. The way his body was shaking told him clearly that he was a ticking time bomb, an unstable vampire at best who was hungrier than he had ever seen his boss in months.

"She's near. I can smell her blood…" his voice droned out with a definitive growl, his stomach erupting in absolute pain at the thought of her sweet blood. Doyle's eyes widened slightly, back up a bit and eyeing the blood on his fingertips. Angel quickly pocketed his hand once more, his throat burning in absolute need.

"You've tasted her blood," the words were shocked and strained, Angel's eyes never meeting his. A sickening knotting motion formed in Doyle's stomach at the realization, his body fighting to stable itself as he tried to fathom the pain Angel was in. He knew he hadn't had a taste of human blood in ages, and it was clear that the soul inside of him was about to erupt, the vampire nature beginning to take hold of his strangled throat. "So what are you going to…do about it?"

"I'm not going to do anything. You're going to drive six blocks and find Chastity, take her back to the agency and patch her up. I'm going to work off whatever the hell this is flooding through me." A snarl erupted through his lips before he swallowed hard, forcing it back down. Doyle eyed him cautiously for a minute, body and mind struggling to stay put or run. "Go Doyle."

"But—"

"Now!"

Doyle kept the speedometer underneath thirty, much to the annoyance of the traffic goers behind him. He received entirely too many hand gestures to count, and beeps that were loud enough to create a migraine effect behind his temples. The sixth block slowly came into view, his car veering off to the sidewalk without a turn single. As he got out of the car, he received even more gestures and screams to add to the list of unpleasantries he had received for the last five blocks.

Scanning the layout of the block for a brief moment, he slowly honed in on the phone booth at the very corner, edging onto the seventh block. His footsteps echoed along the concrete as he made his way towards the street corner, hands flat on the booth as he looked in. Chastity lay on the floor of the booth, barely breathing with blood slowly trickling down her forehead and making its way towards the pool of blood surrounding her head.

Doyle swore quietly underneath his breath, opening the door and carefully hoisting her up into his arms. Quickly making his way back to the vehicle, he carefully laid Chastity on the back seat before getting in on the drivers' side. Not bothering to buckle his seatbelt, his did ninety the entire way to the hospital, quiet curse words escaping his lips the entire time.

Cordelia noisily typed up the receipts that lay on the desk, her fingers trickling over the word invoice on the top of the papers, quietly mumbling to herself the details as she typed them in. The clicks only became louder and more spaced apart with time, her mind slowly giving way to the five in the morning time slot that she normally left Doyle in charge of. She glanced up from the computer, watching as Everleigh turned another page in the magazine she was reading, not looking phased at the time at all.

"Are you sure you're not a vampire?" Cordelia set another stack of papers to her left, raising her eyebrow as the girl looked up from the magazine with a questioning look. "You're not even bothered by how late it is."

"It's called endurance," the words had lost their malice, the magazine falling from her fingers before she stretched upwards. Cordelia winced as her back cracked, her fingers quickly maintain the clicks that drowned out the noise. Everleigh chuckled, moving to pick up the magazine once more as the door opened. "Hey bos—well you're not Angel."

Doyle laughed halfheartedly, quickly walking towards the back office where they stored their clothes. The stench of blood rose from his clothing, Cordelia and Everleigh both putting their hands over their noses as it filled the entire room. He reemerged only seconds later with a new shirt, running his hands through his hair as he let out a sigh. "She's in the hospital for at least a week…"

"What happened?" Cordelia had lost all interest in sleep and paperwork, leaning onto her forearms as she looked at Doyle. He gave her a brief smile before taking a seat next to Everleigh on the couch, kicking his feet up onto the beat up wooden table.

"She was attacked during battle, I'm presuming. She's got a dislocated hip that they need to pop back into place, plus some pretty severe gashes on her head. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a concussion," his fingers ran through his hair again, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips as he forced his worn body up once more. He began to pace, eyes set in the wood as he struggled with the next piece of information that refused to make its way out of his lips.

"What did Angel have to say about it? Was he even there?" Cordelia huffed quietly to herself, crossing her arms against her chest as Everleigh possessed a bemused smirk at her words. Doyle gave her a brief smile before shaking his head, stopping his pacing, and facing the two women who were staring at him intently.

"He tasted her blood and was shaking. He could barely look at me or talk to me." Surprised eyes turned to him, Cordelia's quickly turning to confusion as Everleigh bit into her bottom lip, fingers openly running along the stake in the side of her boot.

"So he's feeding again?" Everleigh was the first to speak up in the silence that followed the information, Cordelia's eyes darting to her than back to Doyle as she leaned further over the desk. Doyle leaned against the desk as well, playing absentmindedly with a business card before he let out a troubled noise.

"I don't know if he's feeding exactly, or if he just tasted her blood. Either way, it's goin' to set him off. He's a ticking time bomb right now, I could practically see the bloodlust in his eyes." Cordelia cleared her throat, raising her hand comically as Everleigh rolled her eyes.

"So if he's only feeding on her, what real danger does that put us in?" Everleigh let out an unhumored laugh, shaking her head and looking at Cordelia.

"It means he can suddenly decide he wants us for breakfast, Cordy." Her eyes widened as her hand moved to her mouth, Doyle giving her a vacant smile as he gingerly clapped her on the shoulder, following it up with a squeeze. He looked at the edge in Everleigh's eyes before shaking his head, letting out a sigh as the sun began its decent in the sky.

"Look, we all know how to handle him. I'm not going to let anything happen to any of us. Angel has a soul, remember? He'd have to live with that guilt," she could see the doubt in Doyle's eyes, but removed herself from the situation as his eyes turned reassuringly to Cordelia.

Everleigh moved her body from the couch, walking over to the window and glancing down at the bustling city. "I'd rather have a soulless vampire, at least then we'd know when he was about to snap. We're not safe, no matter the promises you try to make. Cordy, get the crossbow just in case. Nobody sleeps until we figure Angel out for our own good. I don't know about you two, but I refuse to become vampire chow."

4


	6. Premonition

_Their tongues battled one another's for dominance, his fingers ruffling to the end of her shirt hem as he yanked it upwards. She gasped against his mouth, breathing in his intoxicating scent as he made crescents in her hips, greedy to get every inch of her against his awaiting body. His fingers slowly slipped to the bottom of her jeans, squeezing her ass as she moaned into his mouth. He hurriedly swallowed the sweet sounds slipping from her mouth, their lips bruising as her heart pounded loud enough for the two of them._

_She moaned out again, grabbing at his cheeks as their eyes met, burning in such a desire that neither of them had ever felt. His greedy fingers were marking her as they made their way to the bottom of her ass, yanking her legs up around his toned waist. Whimpering, she kissed him feverishly again, their bodies moving backwards towards a wall as she moaned out. His lips began to make a trail from her jawline to her infuriating pulse, his senses running wild at the mere sound of it reverberating underneath his hungry lips. "God you're so beautiful."_

_It was thrum of adrenaline that shot through her body, straight to her aching core that was rocking unsteadily against his pants that were rapidly tightening. She had half the mine to rip the clothing away, to show him that this was what she truly wanted and desired. But the look in his eyes made her crazy, the soft plea hidden in the depths of her to take it slow and to make it mean everything he had always hoped it would mean. Her chest heaved against his, a playful grin trembling out against his lips as they shook together. _

_She knew the cost of this moment, the sheer events that would follow it leaving a nervous pit in her stomach. His head tilted, their eyes connecting as he read the worry easily, shaking his head before breathing in her intoxicating scent once more. "You don't have to worry, I promise. I'll take care of you."_

"_What if you can't stop yourself?" She whispered her doubts, his fingers threading through his hair as their pelvises ground together. He gave her a reassuring look, kissing her hard as her fingers moved to his pants. Pushing them down enough, they locked around his muscular thighs before he looked at her._

"_I love you," he breathed, entering her in a swift motion and swallowing her moans. Her head slowly turned away from his, her head tilting back as she gasped. Her fingers easily marked up his back, taking the moment for all it was worth. Eyes closed in tight concentration, she didn't watch his face contort, his teeth suddenly ripping into her tender flesh as she screamed out._

Chastity awoke with a start, her body jerking up as her heart monitor beat frantically in the small hospital room. She clutched the scratchy blankets to her rapidly falling chest, her eyes turning to the sunlight filtering in through the window. A cold sweat had drenched her gown through, her tired eyes slowly turning towards the monitor that was slowly coming down from nightmare status. A nurse rushed into the room, staring at her and fretting over the readings that were being produced.

"Miss, are you alright? Your readings are absolutely off the charts," the nurse quickly hit the print button, grabbing the small receipt size paper from the machine. She analyzed them carefully, her eye brows raising quickly as she watched the readings gradually rise from her patient.

"I'm alright, it was just a nightmare…" Chastity turned her eyes towards the sunlight once more, a small wash of relief flooding through her lungs as she realized the time. Closing them briefly, she slowly let the blanket drop from her grasp, a sudden oncoming pain trembling throughout her body as she winced. The nurse took the motion into consideration, nodding a bit to herself before leaving.

Chastity breathed in deep, feeling her ribs expand with her lungs, as well as an oncoming pain. Her eyes shut tighter, his teeth in her neck a feeling that felt so real. She brought her fingers to her pulse point, stroking the smooth skin with a shiver. It had all just been a figment of her overactive imagination, as she was sure that Angel was last night. She had simply been delirious from the pain and multiple head blows she had received.

The nurse returned entirely too quick for her liking, administering a new IV drip with a painkiller in its depths. She relaxed back against the uncomfortable bed, eyes focused on the ceiling as the nurse continued to take the readings from the other machinery hooked to her body. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes tightly, desperately trying to push away the nightmare that haunted her every motive.

Whizzing noises filled up the entire apartment, trained eyes turning towards the elevator shaft that was ever so slowly rising. Doyle sat up, laying Cordelia's head down carefully as he watched a dark figure slowly come into view. The gates were pushed back as Angel walked out, looking worse for wear as he stepped into the make shift lights. Doyle gave him a brief smile as he tried his best to return it, his eyes too busy swarming with worry to be able to focus on the lighthearted gesture.

"Did you find her last night?" His voice was gravely, exhaustion taking over every inch of his body. A large bruise trembled around his left cheek bone, swallowed in the hollow as he let out a sigh. Not bothering to take a step closer, he collapsed his body onto the floor, laying down and tossing an arm over his aching eyes. "Is she safe?"

"Well she's not around you," Cordelia's snapping voice made him tense up, and Doyle shot her a look that told her that this wasn't her territory. She abruptly shut up, looking away and crossing her arms against her chest as she fiercely rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"She's safe, and she's in the hospital for at least a week." Angel nodded a bit to himself, letting out a relieved sigh as Doyle nodded a bit, lowering his stake a bit, cautiously pocketing it. His boss didn't move from the floor, his body motionless as he waited for Doyle to breathe. "What's the entire story, Angel?"

"Are you feeding off of human blood again, Angel?" Brown eyes turned to Everleigh in the corner, spinning a stake carelessly in between her fingers. He gave her a miniscule smile, shaking his head as he slowly brought himself into a sitting position. His head swam from lack of sleep and exhaustion, her scent long since leaving his mind for the time being. He placed his hands to his face, feeling the cuts and damage from the night's adventures.

"No, Everleigh, I'm not. I had a mishap tonight, and that was all it will be. We were fighting, I got knocked into the wall a little hard by the newly sired, and she jumped in thinking I was severely hurt when I was merely stunned. When I came back to my senses she was royally getting her ass kicked by the vampires. I did the only thing I knew I could do in order to help, and I made the mistake of picking her up afterwards. Her bloods…different from others. It just struck a deep nerve for a minute. So put down your stakes, your crossbows, your whatever's. I'm not evil and I don't want to suck your blood." He swallowed hard, the fresh memory of her scent flooding back to him once more. It had awoken a feeling he hadn't felt since the days as Angelus, when he had been free of a soul and a damning curse that kept him away from anything he wanted to claim. "And now if you don't mind, I'm going to go down and get sleep, because it's way past my bedtime, children."

Angel slowly rose to his feet, ending the discussion as he headed towards the elevator once more. His aching body craved blood more than anything, his throat on fire from the ache that he couldn't satisfy. He turned his eyes upward, subconsciously wrapping his arms around his rumbling stomach. No stash of animal blood would be able to take the quenching thirst away, but he had to shove it to the back of his mind unless he wanted to lose the soul that he was atoning for.

Stepping off the shaky elevator shaft, he slowly moved his way towards the bedroom that was more than calling his aching body towards it. He pulled the covers back, stripping down to nothing but his boxers, and slowly laid himself down in the bed. Her scent still fell upon his skin, her blood still staining the rivets in his fingertips. His stomach growled out into the dead of the night, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard once more, forcing his eyes closed and for sleep to take him.

_Her intoxicating scent and taste fell against his tongue, his eyes rolling back in his head as he growled around her flesh. She was entirely too intoxicating, and her panting screams were only forcing his actions more. He could feel the sliding of his fangs in her neck, ripping the skin and exposing himself to the delicate taste underneath that he could sell for millions of dollars on the black market._

_But Chastity was his, eternally marked, and he wouldn't allow them to taste her sweet blood. It ran along his tongue before sliding down his throat, filling his stomach with the very thing he had been craving for centuries. He drank greedily, her motions were beginning to slow, her body becoming limp under his, and a little red warning flag began to erupt behind his eyes._

_But she tasted too good, and suddenly eternity wasn't the answer. He wanted every part of her, every pint of her delicious blood in him, and the rest drained for later use. He moaned around the flesh wound, his body quaking as he bit in deeper, not allowing himself to stop. _

_Chastity's body fell lifelessly to the ground, blood dripping from his jaw onto her pale body as he felt his soul leave him and a dark ball of energy replace its presence. _

3


	7. Oblivious

"I had a dream about her last night."

Doyle glanced up from the stocks page, his eyebrow raising up towards his forehead. The day old coffee cup rested motionlessly in Angel's hands, his eyes transfixed on a blank wall as if it knew his secrets. The vampire had been reduced to brooding more than normal, his eyes watching every miniscule particle inside the beat up wall. His tongue subconsciously drug its way along his chapped bottom lip, his throat contracting as it swallowed. Fingers running subconsciously along his thigh, they stopped at his knee as it moved up and down in utter nerves. A trembling wave stuttered through his body before he inhaled an unneeded breath, the actions repeating themselves without much thought.

"Did you now? What was it? Did you two have a nice little romp?" A devilish grin filtered across Doyle's lips, Angel staring at him wide eyed for a moment before he quickly masked his surprise. Simply shaking his head, he waited until Doyle set down the paper and pulled his feet off the table, giving his boss his full attention. Angel's fingers were trembling once more, his eyes darting all around the room as he attempted to control his nervous apprehension.

"I dreamed we were in a heated moment, yeah, but then it turned darker…" His voice trailed off, his eyes going unfocused again as Doyle stretched his hands towards the ceiling.

"Darker as in kinky, or typical demon darker?"

"I bit her," the words were quiet, Doyle's ears straining to even get a glimpse of them. Angel didn't bother to look up, his bottom lip becoming victim to his tongue once more. His partner could see that this was something more than just a casual dream, a casual darkness that Angel was bound to have after being around so long.

Sitting up straight, Doyle put his forearms on his kneecaps. "You bit her? Then what? Did you sire her?"

Angel tensed up even more, his knee stopping as he glanced over at his friend. Shaking his head a bit, he ran his hands through his abnormally disheveled hair and let out a huff of air. "I drained her and lost my soul." 

"But you had to have met a true moment of happiness," Doyle cocked his head to the side, stretching his arms above his head as Angel rubbed angrily at his temples. A brash decision kept floating around behind his normally calm eyes, a desperate brush with reality clinging to the hurricane force winds trembling against them. Leaning forward more, Doyle propped his chin on his hand. "So what are you saying exactly? That you love her?"

Angel froze in his seat, glancing at the wall before looking back towards his partner. The storm had broken overhead, his eyes lost in personal confusion before he rubbed it away. "That's nonsense. I just met her, and barely at that."

"When was the last time you sired someone, Angel?" The question was completely unorthodox, and the man knew it even as it slipped from his lips. But he didn't bother to stop it, knowing that somewhere beneath the brooding complex the topic had been dying to slip up.

"Centuries, why? What does it even matter, Doyle?" He turned his gaze to his partner, taking him in to his full potential as a knowing smirk trembled across the normally drunk man's lips.

"I know you're dying to have a companion for all eternity, even past Darla and whoever else may be. You're lonely and you're looking for someone to fill that antsy void. And sooner or later, Angel, she's going to feel the same way. You can't deny a woman the pleasures in the bedroom for long without her beginning to question it. The opportunity won't knock forever, even if you will."

Angel scoffed low in his throat, glancing back at his friend. "And you're the last one to talk about opportunities knocking."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You can't tell me you don't see the way Everleigh looks at you." The younger man's eyes widened, staring at his boss like a deer hidden beneath headlights wings.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"She's completely and utterly infatuated with you. She'll do anything you ask her to." 

"I have eyes for Cordy and Cordy only. Everleigh and I are just friends, and nothing more than that." Doyle stood from the couch, making his way towards the elevator. Angel watched him with a raised brow, his fingers subconsciously playing with the stake in his hand. As the elevator doors closed and Doyle disappeared between floors muttering to himself, Angel began to feel the cool wash of anxiety tremble over his skin.

It had been centuries, years since he had sired someone, and the last of them being absolutely insane. She had captured his interests, his fancy, had become his entire life as he tortured her and made her his own little soldier. Drusilla had been his, had been his and Darla's little child until Spike had come along and ripped his family from underneath his destructive feet. A growl began to rise in his throat that he quickly shoved down, rubbing at his eyes as he let out an annoyed sigh.

The thought of siring someone was selfish as far as he was concerned. Even in finding an eternal partner, things never ended up as planned, nor did they remain the right choice. Siring someone meant taking that person's life for your own, twisting it in your immortal hands and watching them die as you drank their sweet wine. It meant waiting for revival, waiting to pull them from the ground, and give them their first kill to survive. Siring was much more than a simple transfer, a simple new life choice that the books portrayed as glamorous. Entirely too many things went into siring that Angel strove to stay away from; he couldn't be that selfish ever again like he was with Drusilla.

But Chastity was something different, something unique compared to the girls he had met before. He had met a lot in his lifetime, and more than he wanted to remember. She stood out among them all though, standing next to the ranks of Buffy in his unbeating heart. He had only known her for a few months, his words becoming more and more frantic with each and every meeting. But he couldn't protect her, let alone sire her into a monster like he was.

He wouldn't wish the gift of immortality on anyone, especially not in the form that forced him to drink blood and trade his soul for a moment of happiness.

The faint beeping of the heart machine slowed and raced with each breath, her eyes watching out the window as she strived to keep her eyes on the sunlight. It was rapidly going down in the sky, the city of Los Angeles beginning to come alive beneath her gaze. Her heart raced faster as the dark descended, her eyes turning to the nurse approaching her. Giving her a faint smile, she grabbed for her to go bag, thanking the nurse gently as she removed the wires from her body.

Chastity froze up momentarily as she walked into the night air, the city coming alive before her eyes as she struggled to remember how to breathe. The cab driver was waiting for her patiently, staring at her in the rearview mirror as she let out a shuddering breath. Angel Investigations was only a few short blocks from the hospital, and it was a trip she wasn't willing to risk alone.

Climbing into the car, she let her thoughts wonder as every building passed her by. Her fingers meddled with the hem of her shirt as she hummed quietly to herself, watching the buildings arc overhead. A static trembled through the old time radio, a smile fleeting onto her face in absolute memories. The cab driver kept silent the entire drive, only glancing back at her once they had reached the building and she pulled the necessary money out of her wallet.

A dull thrum illuminated through her chest, falling straight to her head as she stood up and stared at the building. It was so familiar and so achingly painful that her heart slammed fast against her chest. The hair on the back of her neck went up, the violent dreams she had been having the entire week slamming quickly behind her eyelids as she struggled to remember how to breathe. He was up there, watching her no doubt, and analyzing the discussion at hand before she'd even have a time to think about it. It wasn't fair the advantage his trained senses had on her, and as her normal human senses began to dull themselves, she pulled in a shaking breath and stepped through the doors of the old time building.

Every echoing step up the stairs seemed to make her heart race faster and faster, her head spinning momentarily as she reached out and grabbed onto the banister. She stopped for a second, trying to steady her thoughts as she swallowed hard, an undeniable fear trembling through her body at the memories that rapidly flooded through her cerebral complex. His face illuminated behind her eyelids, the face that had haunted her since she had called Doyle for help. Her injuries flared up for a brief moment as a placebo effect, her heart slowing as her fears lived themselves out inside of her brain.

As she reached the large door and the makeshift sign that made her smile, her heart began to tremble slightly as she fought to keep herself steady. Chastity would not let herself become a victim of fear; she hadn't this entire time and wouldn't start now over some guy that just happened to be a vampire. When she simplified the facts like that it made everything more bearable, but the fact still remained that he would be behind the door and she would have to face the fears that she was desperately trying to make out to be lighthearted.

Knowing that stalling would do her no good, Chastity pushed the door open to the agency, stepping through the door silently as her eyes swept the area. Doyle's fingers were working against the computer, Cordelia's annoyed look making a smile turn onto her face. Everleigh sat perched on the couch, leafing through a book on demons and spells that she hadn't seen before. Her nightmare was nowhere to be found in the room, and it gave her the strength to push through the door fully and close it behind her.

Cordelia looked up upon the new noise, a smile breaking out across her face as she eyed Chastity. "You're back!"

Before Chastity could even retaliate her own greeting, Cordelia's arms were around her neck, pulling her into her body as a high school squeal trembled through her lips. The two kept the embrace for entirely too long, Chastity's wounds beginning to ache before Cordelia realized that she would need to pull back sometime. She gave her new friend another big smile before turning back to Doyle with annoyance. "Now can we stop doing this lame ass searching for two hours? Chastity's back!"

Doyle glanced up, rolling his eyes before giving the newer member a brief smile. "Yeah, welcome back and all that. Angel's been broodier than normal since you've been gone."

The mere name sent a race of chilling realization down her spine, her eyes closing briefly as she forced a smile onto her face. "I'm sorry if he's been driving you insane."

"More like driving you insane," he commented offhandedly, hitting the power button on the computer before throwing his feet up onto the desk. Cordelia gave him a chiding look, one that he pointedly ignored, and turned his full attention to the less than pleased looking girl. "Look, we all know the elephant in the room, alright? Yes, Angel's a vampire. He's not going to—"

"Suck me dry and leave my lifeless corpse for some weird medical student to take?" Chastity made her way into the room further, taking a seat next to Everleigh on the couch. She didn't look up or acknowledge her presence, her eyes filtering over the page of another demon whose presence made Chastity's stomach churn. Quickly looking away, she glanced up at Doyle once more.

"Something like that. That's more like horror movie envisioned though if you ask me," he chuckled lowly in his throat before shaking his head. 

Chastity shook her head slightly, giving him a brief smile before she rose up from the couch once more. She made her way over to the elevator, sending a questioning glance back at Doyle. Doyle nodded slightly in confirmation, her fingers already pulling the gate shut over the elevator. Crossing her arms, she leaned back against the elevator, shutting her eyes and attempting to regain her thoughts. They were rapidly bouncing around and around in her cerebellum, the ride downward entirely too quick as she struggled to remember to breathe.

He sat perched at his desk, his fingers running through his hair as his eyes rapidly scanned over another ancient textbook. His lips moved soundlessly, brows furrowing in a desperate attempt to understand the latest case they were working on. Forcing herself to move, she made her way out of the elevator and towards the desk, Angel's eyes darting up and widening at her sheer presence. Both hadn't thought the appearance through, doe like eyes staring back at one another as they tried to fathom a dead conversation.

"You're out of the hospital already," it wasn't a question, more of a statement from Angel as he quietly closed the book. She gave him a fleeting smile, taking a seat across from him. He gave her a weaker one back, subconsciously swallowing as his fingers ran through his hair once more. "Look, about what happened before—" 

"You're a vampire." The statement hung in the air, no unneeded breaths escaping Angel's lungs as he stared at her. She didn't look disturbed or frightened like she had once before, their eyes meeting as a calmness swept over her body. "A vampire that doesn't bite humans, and while that's noble and all, it doesn't make sense."

Angel chuckled slightly, shaking his head slightly. "It's a long story. Let's just say that we all have something to atone for."

She eyed him momentarily, watching his body language as he struggled to remain neutral to the situation. She could smell the fear radiating off his body, something that she hadn't viewed in any other vampires before. His fingers filtered over the cover of the book, her heart slamming in her chest as she stared at him. An undeniable force in her body drawing her into his trembling atmosphere, she bit down on her lip as she reached over and closed the text in front of him.

Angel looked up at her, eyeing her momentarily before leaning over the desk slightly. Chastity smiled slightly, her heart hammering in her chest as his fingers ran down her cheek and her neck, pausing at her pulse point as his eyes closed momentarily. "You know, you've got the sweetest—"

"Just shut up and kiss me, fang boy."

Angel wasted no time indulging in her request, his body easily lifting itself over the desk and lips eagerly pushing against hers. Her own hands wound their way through his hair, arms wrapping around his neck as a moan erupted through connected lips. His fingers reached down, effortlessly lifting her onto the desk as their tongues fought for dominance, his head spinning from her intoxicating aroma.

He pulled back momentarily, "Next lesson is teaching you how to fight though. As much as I love saving you, you have to hold you own—"

"Don't ruin the mood, Angel."

4


	8. History Lesson

"So what's Angel's real story?"

Cordelia glanced up from the tower of paperwork in front of her face, raising her eyebrow up slightly as her fingers moved to find another paid stamp. Somewhere along the lines of her desperately trying to turn the business into a prim and proper one, she had managed to find a cheap 'Paid' stamp along with a few fresh pads of ink at a local store. She wouldn't admit it if anyone brought it up to her, but occasionally shopping in the slums had its advantage. Angel had merely rolled his eyes at her when she had brought it to his attention, a proud smile blossoming onto her face. The only one that had been amused by her findings had been Doyle, much to the annoyance of Everleigh who made it a point to say how trivial Cordelia had become to the company.

The simple notation had earned her a spot patrolling with Angel that evening, followed by a lesson on respecting her elders. Angel almost didn't make it home that night via a stake through his heart.

Cordelia's fingers quickly meshed through the paperwork, desperately making their way past the flickering computer monitor and towards the drawer on her left. The prized possession was hidden inside, and a brief smile flooded onto her face at the rediscovery, the sensation of being proud once again dawning on her. She might not have been able to cut it as an actress just yet, but she would be able to transform this little business into a booming corporation.

Her fingers reached out, moving to grab the sheet of paperwork that needed to be filed. In one motion, her arm had disrupted the stack, forcing the papers to catapult everywhere around the office and a frustrated moan to leave the starving artists' lips. Everleigh smirked from behind the book she was reading, letting her eyes drag back down as Cordelia's came up. Chastity quickly removed herself from the beat up chair she had been reclining in, stooping down to help the secretary pick up the paperwork.

Cordelia shot her a sincere smile, picking up the last of the stack and gingerly setting it on top. "At least someone knows their manners around here."

Chastity shot her another fleeting smile, glancing up warily at the girl in the seat behind her. Everleigh's knuckles were white as she clutched her book, pulling in a deep breath as her eyes scanned the text once more. Chastity had been with the team for only a short while, and she already knew when to steer clear of the third girl. She appeared to never smile, to never show emotion, unless Doyle and Angel walked into the room. It was undeniable that the way she interacted with Cordelia suggested a dominance issue, and it set an unnerved alarm in her stomach as to where her presence was felt.

Everleigh's eyes came up, connecting with Chastity's roughly as they formulated a glare. The breath remained caught in Chastity's chest as they stared at one another, her eyes unable to break the stare that they were captivated in. Her fingers flexed once on her book, then twice, before she roughly threw it down onto the floor. A cloud of dust rose up after it, their eyes breaking the stare as Everleigh quickly removed herself from the seat. She swiftly made her way across the floor, her heels clicking noisily as the door slamming shut followed suit.

With the presence of the third gone, Chastity felt the air enter her lungs once more. Turning back to Cordelia, the question from earlier briefly reentered her mind. Standing up from her crouched position, she quickly dusted her jeans off and gave Cordelia a smile as she set the paperwork back on the desk. She made sure it was far from her reach before sitting back down, a sigh of annoyance leaving her lips. "So what's Angel's real story, Cordy?"

She looked startled for a moment, her mind slowly drifting from the task at hand before nodding a bit to herself to clear her head. "Angel's….just complicated. There's honestly no other way to describe him."

Everleigh smiled as Cordelia's face lit up in its own secret smile. The sensation that she had disrupted a serious low of their chemistry hit her all at once, and her smiled faltered ever so slightly. She pulled in a deep breath, smiling a bit more before moving over to the window and staring out at the city surrounding her.

"You've seemed to make a tremendous impact in his life, however. He doesn't brood as much as he used to," Cordelia chuckled to herself, holding out the file that rested between her perfectly manicured nails. Chastity eyed her questioningly for a moment before the brunette gestured to the filing cabinet at her side. Her face lit up in an awkward blush, carefully taking the stuffed folder from her hands. Pressing her thumb into the lock, she pulled the drawer out and easily filed it underneath the correct letter, letting the drawer close as the reverberating sound trembled throughout her body.

"I don't see why. The last few months are a complete blur to me," Chastity brought her fingers through her hair, letting out a sigh as she pushed her back against the filing cabinet. It trembled once before settling with the new weight against it, Cordelia smiling brightly as she stood up.

"It's been a while since we had a breath of fresh air around here." She neatly stacked the rest of the open case files neatly on the tray once more before turning her attention back to Chastity. "It's been a long time since Angel's felt connected to a girl, and since we had someone we enjoyed working with here at Angel Investigations."

Chastity let out a chuckle, "So I'm not the only one Everleigh isn't friendly with, then."

"Everleigh's not friendly with anyone but Doyle and occasionally Angel. I'll never know what her problem is with me. Probably the fact that I'm an aspiring actress and she's nothing," Cordelia stood from her chair, stretching her arms up towards the ceiling until she felt her back crack. A pleased smile settled into her face as she rubbed at her temples, stretching her legs as she made her rounds around the small office. They'd been cluttered with work for a solid month now, and all the filing had been neglected until then. If she had to file another paper, Cordelia was convinced she was going to go crazy.

"Are her and Doyle…" Chastity trailed off awkwardly, playing with a free strand of her hair as Cordelia let out a full-hearted laugh. The younger girl smiled brightly, the infectious laughter making her own escape her mouth before she could stop it.

Cordelia quirked an eyebrow, smiling at the refreshing light atmosphere. "She wishes, but Doyle'll never go for her. I know I'm not the only one who sees the eyes he sends my way."

Chastity bit her lip thoughtfully, smiling gingerly as she turned her eyes back to the city once more. "You and him could work though, you know? You're both…condescending in your own unique ways."

The door to the office closed lightly behind her as Cordelia chuckled, "Doyle's got no chance in hell with me."

Everleigh's irritated fingers trailed down the walls of the rusting building, her nose turning up as the paint chipped up beneath her feather light touches. The building itself was one of the older in the city, and she could only guess that Angel adored it for its ancient, gothic feel. It was worn down, the beams barely holding themselves up any longer. But the elevator lead straight to a convenient location, and she supposed it was nothing but absolutely perfect for the vampire in question. She quite personally wouldn't have mind an office that didn't look like that of the drug dealers on the street, but she had kept her mouth shut, eager to please the only two people she could stand in the entire city.

Chastity's stare still burned into her vision, her teeth gritting in sheer annoyance at the new girl that had been added. She could barely handle Cordelia, and with Chastity thrown into the mix, Everleigh was beginning to go straight out of her mind. Angel had given her that stern look to accept it, to welcome the new addition as if she had been there forever. But she had never dwelled well with newcomers, and the pressure rose in her chest once more as she rubbed at her temples.

Her fingers paused briefly at the door to Angel's apartment, the entry way only known to the members of the establishment. She had discovered it on a late night insomnia trek, and had only agreed to using it for utter emergencies. But the elevator meant that she would have to go back up the stairs and past the blossoming friendship, and that wasn't a step that she was willing to take. Her heart pound hard in her chest despite knowing the fact that Angel wouldn't do a thing to her, the hot flush of realization running through her veins like it did whenever she was close to the vampire. He had saved her countless times, and it provided her with enough trust towards him, despite his nature.

Pushing the door open, she closed it as silently as she could behind her. Everleigh rested her back against it, feeling the pressure leave her chest if only for a moment, her eyes closing tightly as she exhaled slowly. Her thoughts began to fade back into place, unjumbling themselves from the encounter upstairs and leaving her jaded and platonic to her own emotions. She had been trained to be emotionless, had been trained to not to trust. There were only two people that she allowed herself to be shown to, and neither of them resided upstairs.

The colder air was welcomed to her skin, running over it in a cold flush and raising up goose bumps. It made her fingers instinctively dig into the wood behind her, head beginning to ache with familiar thoughts. She attempted to push them back as the cold began to ebb away as her body began to adjust to the temperature. Slowly removing her lip from her teeth, she pushed herself off the door, rubbing at her eyes before pressing her palms into them. She waited until she could see spots before dropping them back down to her sides, the flaring temper quickly draining away as a smile began to filter onto her face.

"You're late for your training session, princess."

The familiar Irish accent cut into her ears, forcing her eyes open as she rolled her eyes playfully. Sticking out her tongue in true immature fashion, she removed her shoes and quickly replaced them with a pair of tennis shoes. The smirk on Doyle's face was enough to raise her irritation as a hot flush of embarrassment washed over her body, her head quickly shaking to free itself of the thoughts. "Don't say a word about the inches I just lost."

"Wouldn't dream of it. You seem more stressed than usual," his eyes remained trained on hers as she stretched her arms ever so slightly, feeling the muscles stretch and ache underneath her command. Everleigh's teeth found her lip subconsciously again, her eyes slowly breaking from Doyle's intense stare as she noncommittally shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing I can't handle," as the words trembled from her nervous lips, her right arm brought itself up, fist made as it stopped just short of Doyle's face. His eyes honed in on her fist for a moment before sweeping his left leg, watching as she effortlessly jumped to avoid the attack. He nodded his head in approval, circling her slowly before moving to her left, arm coming up to smash into her chest.

The wind knocked itself away, Everleigh falling to her knees as her focus slowly broke. Doyle's knee planted itself firmly into the center of her back, arms wrapped tight around hers as his hot breath trembled over her ear. "New girl and Cordy again? You have got to stop it, Everleigh. You're going to end up alone and friendless if you keep it up."

The words floated around in her ear, forcing her eyes to close even in the uncomfortable position. She had always hated when Doyle used the simple move, knowing that it full on forced unwelcomed thoughts into her head. His scent intoxicated her, swimming into her senses at full speed. His hips pressed themselves closer to hers, the harmless fighting position suddenly intimate and forcing her heart to pound harder and faster in her chest. The familiar pressure settled in her stomach before Doyle completely spun her around, her back hitting the mat hard as she winced and pressed her palms into her eyes.

"Eve, you're seriously distracted today." Doyle's voice had lost the tense edge, his body slowly settling down next to hers on the mat. She desperately tried to focus on the spots in front of her eyes, rather than the man lying next to her as her emotions threatened to get the best of her. Doyle's hands reached out, slapping away at her hands and forcing her to remove them as he shot her the familiar disapproving glance. "How many times do I have to tell you that that's seriously horrible for your eyes?"

"You know you'll have to tell me a million more," a soft laugh accompanied her words, her body filling with the familiar ache of the aftermath, her eyes darting around the small room once more. Doyle let out a yawn, stretching his hands high above his head as his eyes slowly slid over to hers. A question was hidden beneath the normally well put together eyes, and both of them broke the eye contact abruptly. His arm came over to nudge her side as he pushed himself up, offering his hand out to her. She gripped it with ease, allowing the half demon to pull her up effortlessly.

"Again, from the top."

Everleigh's right fist quickly attempted to make contact with his face, Doyle's footwork entirely too quick for her as his knee came up to her stomach. She doubled over momentarily, her own elbow swinging out to get him in the stomach. Doyle chuckled as he coughed, quickly wrapping his arm around her neck and pulling her up into a chokehold. She struggled against the grip, coughing slightly as he lifted her off the ground, watching her feet dangle ever so slightly. "I don't fucking get why she's still on the team."

Her foot kicked out, catching Doyle straight in the crotch as he fell backwards onto his ass, her figure easily coming down onto his hips. She straddled him quickly, pressing her own fingers into his neck and avoiding squeezing entirely too hard. "You seriously haven't seen the way he looks at her? He's a smitten little kitten."

Doyle easily snuck his arm free, shoving her hard and forcing her back against the mat as her foot kicked out. Her shoe connected square with his chest at the last moment, forcing him to roll as he let out an irritated cough. Everleigh dusted her pants off, allowing her hips to shift as she made her way over to him with a confident look on her face. "Just because you love something doesn't mean you surround yourself with it."

She let out a scream as Doyle sprung from his crouched position, pinning the younger girl down to the mat. His hands held her wrists firmly to the gym material, hips bearing down on hers hard as she struggled to get free. A cocky smirk flew onto his lips, his head cocking to the side slightly in true know-it-all fashion. "Really? Have you looked at what you surround yourself with lately, Eve?"

Everleigh abruptly stopped her motions, staring up at him for a moment horrified. Every part of her body felt exposed, her heart hammering hard in her chest. She had made sure not to let any little detail slip, not even to Angel as she desperately tried to remember how to breathe. Doyle's face was slowly starting to etch towards concerned as she shoved him roughly up, not pausing to grab her heels as she quickly made her way out the exit door.

Once at the stairwell, Everleigh allowed her body to stop running, allowing it to sink down onto the termite worn steps. Her face quickly found her hands, her erratic breathing filling her ears as she tried to push the humiliation away. She didn't allow that emotion to show to anyone, and she'd be damned if Doyle was able to crack the only secret she had ever possessed around the two of them. Her heart raced as she felt her ears begin to light up, the fresh hot tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

She quickly brushed them away, pulling in a staggering breath as she quickly made her way up the stairs. She wouldn't be intimidated by anyone or humiliated, and when she got to the bottom of who had let any of the information leak to Doyle however they had found out, then there was going to be hell to pay.


	9. Smitten

A soft melodramatic breeze fluttered through the windows of the building carelessly, as if they had no knowledge of the man fast asleep in the basement. The windows had been cracked open in an effort to let out the smoke from the latest spell gone wrong, Chastity's words not at all as strong as Angel perceived it to be. He had been training her for little over a month, his eyes rarely leaving hers as he went over each pronunciation clearly and definitively.

Glancing over the newspaper that fluttered slightly in the wind, Doyle raised his eyebrow as Everleigh threw the book on Angel's desk, rolling her eyes before glancing out the window. The annoyed tick that he had picked up so easily was still present, her feet spread the right amount apart as her careful eyes traced every inch of the streets below, taking a mental photograph.

He cleared his throat, closing the paper slightly. "Somethin' catch your eye?"

She glanced up from the street, giving him a fleeting smile before she took a seat next to him on the couch. The worn material easily allowed her to roll into his chest, her fingers reaching out to snatch the slightly yellow tinted material. Doyle clucked his tongue slightly, holding it out of her reach even more as her fingers made contact with his belt. "Doyle, hand it over."

"Watch where you're grabbin' there, Eve." His body had tensed underneath her grip, pulling himself upward as she retracted slightly, letting out a slight groan of annoyance as she sat up and crossed her arms.

"It's not like you would notice anyway even if I did."

He eyed her slightly, closing his mouth and focusing his eyes back on the paper. "So what was the throwing of the book about?"

"I don't see what he sees in her. She's an utter moron. She almost set the entire agency on fire." Everleigh picked at her nails as the venomous words escaped her, her eyes turning away from his face as she let out an irritated sigh. Slowly, she brought her hands up to her face, messaging her temples as she gave him a weak smile.

"He's smitten." The words rolled off his tongue entirely too easily, Everleigh staring at him in disbelief as the fire alarm began to go off again. Easily hoisting herself onto the worn desk, she pressed her finger to the silence button once more. The splitting headache was already reverberating through her skull, the look of irritation becoming more prominent as she slowly made her way from the wooden object.

The fabrication of déjà vu rocketed through her body, her teeth biting into her bottom lip. It had been a solid two weeks since the training session, and his tones were entirely innocent. It was as if the entire scene had been forgotten, as if the tense atmosphere had been erased. She treaded on shallow ground, daring her footstep carefully. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You can't honestly tell me that you don't see how he looks at her." Everleigh eyed him slightly, shaking her head. The entire conversation completely remained erased as far as she could tell; she wouldn't mind playing it off as easily as Doyle was. At least that way she was saved the humiliation that had forced her to distance herself from the team.

Doyle chuckled lowly in his throat, shaking his head before moving away. "You always were naive."

Her eyes darted to his face, her stomach turning ever so slightly as his eyes dragged themselves back to the paper in her hand. The latest case was beginning to take its toll on everyone, and with Cordelia out on an acting audition, the four of them were left to put clues together. Everleigh had been doing a grand job of piecing together ancient text until Chastity had bounded in, Angel by her side, declaring that they had found a spell that could blow the case wide open. Everleigh had shot Angel a warning gaze, but the smile on his face said otherwise, and all she could do was sit back and watch as Chastity single handedly destroyed everything in the upstairs office.

Smoke detectors had never been so annoying.

So many insults rested at the tip of her tongue, vying to come out and lash at Doyle for the none too innocent comment. Her body flushed ever so slightly as she grabbed the book, hoisting it underneath her arm before heading towards the smaller office. Doyle watched her steps, bemused smirk on his face. "You know they're in there, right?" 

Everleigh abruptly stopped, her posture tensing as she slowly turned towards him. With no place else to retreat and Doyle's taunting smile on his lips, she hesitantly made her way to the center of the room, where the floor had been scorched before. She allowed her body to drop, throwing the book carelessly to the wood below her. It landed with a hard knock, her eyes rapidly searching through the text for some way to put the scorched fabrics of paper back together. The nagging feeling of two eyes watching her made her skin crawl, and she closed her eyes tightly as she pulled in an unsteady breath. "Doyle, eyes on yourself, thanks."

"When's the last time you went out for a drink?" His comment was bizarre and off the wall, her head turning abruptly in his direction with an eyebrow raised. A bemused smirk rested on his lips, one that told her that he was merely existing to screw with every feeling in her body until she was reduced to a whimpering mess with a tub of ice cream. But the look quickly changed before she could linger on it, her own eyes dropping their accusing gaze and staring at him with utter confusion.

"Excuse me?"

Doyle chuckled low in his throat, "We should go out tonight. Take a minor break from the case and just have some fun as a team building exercise?"

"Team building exercise? More like 'Doyle is trying to get in Cordelia's pants' exercise." A scoff ran through Everleigh's lips as her fingers closed the book, the opportunity to get away from her frustration for more than a few moments overtaking the possibility of being in the presence of Cordelia and Doyle's flirting pattern all night. She needed a chance to get away, to breathe for a few quick moments and let the case come to her naturally, instead of being stuck inside of her irritated bubble. Right now, she preferred the irritating flirting to trying to put together ashes and turn them into hardcore evidence. Her eyes lingered on Doyle's for a moment before she slowly nodded, pushing herself up from the floor once again and towards the office door that she had previously avoided.

Chastity's cheeks lit up in embarrassment as Angel pushed the burnt pieces of paper into the garbage. He had given up on trying to perform a miracle around ten minutes ago, his eyes turning towards the embarrassed girl and making her feel utterly exposed. There was something that swirled into his eyes, that choked her for all she was worth until she was at his mercy. There was a certain kindness, a certain desperate need to be better than he was, to atone for something that she wasn't meant to know about. But the way his fingers danced along his belt line, the way his steps were lighthearted so that you couldn't hear them, brought about the hint of mystery that all the fabled vampires in horror novels were modeled after. But she couldn't pull herself away from the intoxication that rested on his lips, that rested in the unsure patterns in his voice.

The fact that she made Angel nervous gave her an edge and advantage that she didn't want to willingly admit. It gave her power, let her hold it in her fingertips and allowed her to squeeze like an electric collar. She had quickly realized that he was utterly infatuated with her, and with Cordelia's help, Chastity had quickly learned how to play Angel's game.

"I'm sorry about destroying the evidence," she whispered out the words, her fingers picking at her chipping nail polish. On a girl's night, Cordelia had forced her into a manicure that she had never had before, and as much as the white paint had delighted her eyes, now she wanted the annoying nails off. Since appearing at Angel Investigations, the closest person Chastity found herself drawn to was Cordelia, with the exception of Angel. But his mystery kept her guarded, forced her to carry a stake in her back pocket that she swore she carried for emergencies.

Angel shook his head slightly, stretching and allowing his bones to crack back into place. The case had been going on entirely too long, and he didn't have the mental capacity to get annoyed with the girl in front of him. She was merely a child, her hair falling in front of her face as she bit down on her lip. He had easily stepped into that guardian role, the kiss in the office seemingly forgotten as the two tried to remain calm around one another. Angel had learned to carefully control his emotions long ago, locked and hidden in the times of Buffy that he tried to block out. "It's not a big deal; the case was pretty closed anyway."

Chastity nodded slightly, the nerves starting in her stomach as his voice cut through her head once again. It was becoming entirely too complex to be around him without feeling some form of nervousness and anxiety. But she had grown up in a calm and collected household, so she managed to breathe deep and push her emotions down. He wasn't looking at her, as was always the custom. He would shoot her one glance at random times of the day, and then his gaze was elsewhere, eyes switching off into a memory that she wasn't allowed to experience.

Part of her yearned to be back in her hometown, tucked safely away with the memories around her. She would smell the familiar scent of the perfume that seemed to hang around her household, as well as the stuffed animals that she meant to pack away but couldn't for memories sake. But she couldn't go back now that she had been introduced to this world; something forced her to stay put and adjust to the life that she was beginning to like.

And more importantly, something was forcing her to stay around Angel, no matter the danger it possessed.

The lights began to tremble down over the city, bringing even brighter lights up with it. It was notorious for coming alive at night, for allowing the bar rats to take refuge and allowing the inhabitants to become as dirty as they wanted. The night time is when Los Angeles truly shown, with more fake IDs than brain cells. Everything was bright, dark, dirty, and grungy all at the same time, and Everleigh had never known why she had truly wanted to come to the city so bad. California hadn't been anything like she had pictured it from the beginning, and part of her was vying to travel back home and just be away from the dramatics that she had found herself caught up in.

But even as naive as Doyle presumed her to be, Everleigh knew that she could never go home. She had picked this lifestyle from the moment she had been rescued, and for that she knew she would always be stuck inside the city's dirty fingers. She couldn't pull away, no matter how hard she tried—its fists would always be stronger than hers and she couldn't forget the things that she had learned and seen while under its grasp.

The night life had always disgusted her—there was nothing appealing at all within a bar full of drunks who wanted to hit on you, have a one night stand, and then leave you with sexually transmitted diseases in the morning. It was the one thing that she had never understood about Doyle, and it was the only trait that completely disgusted her about him. But the good had always managed to outweigh the bad, and it always left her with a jaded emotion that she couldn't fabricate being a part of.

Doyle's fingers trembled over her lower black, her tight black dress clinging to her curves in all the right way. Her hands dug messily for her ID, knowing full well that she had tried to get into the bar ahead of her once before. His close proximity to her was forcing her thoughts to go further and further south, her mind quickly trying to fabricate them and make them vanish before she could blurt something out of her mouth to ruin the night. Cordelia was to his left side, neatly tucked into his side in a tight pink number that was nearly assaulting on her eyes. Her sparkling pink pumps accented the outfit, and her confident air made Everleigh nearly trip in her simple black pumps.

Doyle smacked her hand away slightly, giving her a stern look that she had known entirely too many times before. It was the look that told her to back down, that he could handle it and for her to stop worrying. She was of age after all, to be able to drink the alcohol and was freaking out for no reason. The slight twinkle that his eyes held told her of the amusement her motives brought to him, and she quickly turned her eyes away, childishly tucking her arms across her chest and keeping her eyes set forward in the stone cold glare that they had developed all on her own.

The bouncer that rested in front of the doorway gave the trio a once over. His eyes landed on Cordelia's flirtatious smile, then slowly dragged over to Everleigh's stare, before pulling them back to the man in the middle. Doyle's lips were pressed in a thin line, his eyes challenging as the bouncer chuckled slightly. He nodded to them, removing the red rope ever so slightly before coyly slipping Cordelia his number written on a napkin. She giggled, grabbing it from him and managing to press it into the back of her pump. Doyle's grip on her tightened, her smile immediately dropping and eyes rolling as he pulled the two inside of the bar.

Dance music flooded the sound system, Cordelia's squeal cutting through Everleigh's ears in no time as she quickly pressed her fingers to her temple. "Doyle! Come dance with me!"

Doyle's eyes widened, her hand finding his as she pulled him towards the dance floor. Everleigh watched with her eyebrow raised, the sudden feeling of becoming the third wheel trembling through her figure. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she made her way towards the bar located towards the back, easily making her way through the drunk cat calls that made her fist tense at her side.

The hours were easily beginning to count down, dragging painfully towards the early hours of the morning. Cordelia had long grown tired of the dance floor, the five or six martinis she had downed entering her system slower than she would have liked. They weren't turning Doyle into the prince charming that she was so desperately looking for, and her own selfish needs forced her away from her ride and towards the doors outside.

The bouncer was still standing strong, the line now diminished and the streets becoming less and less traffic filled. Her mind was fogged, ready to mingle where as she normally would've been shier. She allowed her fingers to trail down his arm, getting his attention easily as he turned, ready to throw the person who has spoken to him. To his surprise, Cordelia managed to grace his vision, a smile falling onto his face.

Doyle watched from the bar as Cordelia openly flirted with the bouncer, her laugh nearly echoing back to where his shot glass rested. A sneer was beginning to form on his lips, watching as she openly allowed her lips to make contact with his ear, whispering the go ahead that he openly took up. His fingers laced with hers, pulling her away from the entrance and towards the rather expensive looking Corvette parked right outside of the bar. He let out a scoff, picking up his glass and downing the contents before pushing it back down noisily.

Everleigh followed his line of vision, stopping herself from spinning around on the bar once more. The alcohol she had drunk was already rapidly effecting her system, her head swirling with the motion as a careless giggle filtered through her lips. "Looks like Cordy's getting some ass tonight!"

The simple phrase was putting Doyle at his wits end. His body was aching from all the dancing she had put him through, his head spinning rapidly from all the thoughts that were beginning to form. Jealousy wasn't an emotion that he was familiar with, and now that it was beginning to filter through to an utter need. His mind pulsed hard twice before the red filled his vision, his hand reaching out and stopping Everleigh's chair from spinning again. Everleigh turned towards him out of utter confusion, the lollypop that's she had managed to snag from the bar dropping to the floor. Without a second thought, Doyle's lips messily fell on hers, the taste of scotch filling both of their mouths as Doyle unsteadily pushed himself off of his own chair.

The door to Doyle's messy apartment kicked over, lips tangling with one another as a moan erupted from the smaller girl. Her foot easily kicked out, slamming the door behind him as he pushed her back towards the bedroom. His fingers were already making way with her zipper, his cock pressing harder against his jeans as the alcohol made its presence know. A giggle trembled from Everleigh's lips as they landed in a heap in his bed, the covers becoming ruffled as her fingers wasted no time driving straight for the bulge straining against his zipper.

Doyle's lips parted in a moan before Everleigh's were covering them again, her fingers yanking his zipper down greedily as he quickly tore the fabric of her dress off. His mind was entirely too clouded, the rage from Cordelia rejecting him truly coursing through his veins as he tried to remember how to breathe. She was trembling under his touch, his fingers rubbing hard at her aching clit once before smoothly thrusting into her, their lips pushing harder and harder against one another's with the intensity of the kiss.

Each rapid thrust had their lips bruising, Everleigh's mind swirling as to try and remember where she truly was. Her body was aching as each thrust trembled through her, the powerful half demon on top of her making her senses go wild. She hadn't remembered leaving the bar, his lips leaving hers and making their way swiftly to her throat as her body began to tense. She could feel Doyle's tensing above her, heart racing as they both came to a vengeful climax, his body rolling from hers almost immediately.

Everleigh tried rapidly to catch her breath, her eyes trying to focus on the rapidly spinning ceiling. But it was falling away entirely too quickly, and letting the alcohol fully take over her senses, she allowed her mind to black out to the events around her.


	10. Hero

Los Angeles came alive with the sounds of bleating horns, a chorus of rambunctious behavior, and a trembling sense of undeniable fear. It was a unique blend that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world, and it was one that newcomers to Los Angeles were always startled by. There was a vindictive feeling to the trembling despair of the once great city. Couples vacationing nearly always made mistakes, and girlfriends with boyfriends past out drinking almost always woke up in the wrong bed at the wrong time in the morning, if they were allowed to wake up at all. She had a weird way of twisting everyone's feelings and words to make you feel like you were going slightly crazy, even if an overwhelming sense of safety fell once the morning broke and night was away for a few hours. There crime was less, and you didn't have to worry about the buddy system in the fraying sanities of your trembling minds.

The calming wind blew through the ruffled curtains, a window that had been carelessly left open providing the culprit to the scene of the crime. It made its way through the small bedroom, filtering over the disheveled bed and bodies that lay there undisturbed. Chests pressed to backs, eyes remained closed, lost in a drunken hazed dream land that left their bodies clueless to the morning light.

Slowly the haze began to break over the smaller of the two, the light beginning to filter through once dark eyelids as the girls eyes slowly began to open. A dull, thrumming pain echoed around her head from the night before, the memory lost in a coax of shots that left the bitter taste of whiskey in her mouth. Confused eyes darted around the familiar room, the sheets pressed tight to her body as she slowly sat up. Everleigh swallowed hard, feeling the familiar warmth of breath against her back as she slowly turned, eyeing Doyle's equally naked figure as she pulled in a sharp breath.

His chest was slowly rising and falling, eyes pressed closed and mouth slightly ajar. She could tell easily that his mind was lost to the drunken shots as well, his immune system taking up way more than her smaller frame could handle. But his mind was being rapidly pulled out of the dream world, her breath caught inside her throat as his eyes flashed open and all around the room until they landed on her figure.

"What the hell happened last night?" A groan erupted through his lips as he sat up, hand blindly reaching for the bottle of aspirin next to his bedside. It was a scene that Doyle was entirely too familiar with, just more keen on waking up alone than with a girl next to him.

Everleigh gave him a weak smile, wishing she'd stop shaking from a premonition that she couldn't define. "Pretty sure we got drunk and slept together."

Her body stretched as she watched Doyle get up from the bed, her eyes shamelessly trailing his body. His arms stretched high above his head toward the ceiling before digging through his drawer, fabricating a pair of boxers within record time. Glancing over at her as he struggled to find more of his clothing, he pulled in a deep breath at the look resting on her face. "I'm sure it was just because we were both drunk, Everleigh."

"Or maybe it was nice and drunken actions are sober thoughts," the sentence was weak even from her own lips and he gave her a semi annoyed look, grabbing his pants up off the floor and pulling them over his body.

As he buckled the belt, he kept his eyes downward. "Everleigh, we've had this conversation before. Several times in fact, if I remember right."

She bit into her bottom lip, shifting anxiously underneath the covers as he found his shirt hanging off a lamp. "Yeah, but you never know—"

"Everleigh." Doyle's attention turned fully towards her as he snatched his wallet from the dresser. "There has never been anything between us and there never will be. I don't know what fantasy you're holding onto but it's time to let go of it. I love Cordelia, and only Cordelia, and it's time to move on from the subject. Don't forget to lock up on your way out."

Everleigh watched his form disappear down the hallway, closing her eyes as the door shut. Biting into her bottom lip hard, she pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead against them as she pulled in a shaky breath. The night before swirled mockingly in her head as she dug her fingers into the blanket, his scent intoxicating her and laying heavy on her skin as she attempted to pull herself back together from a moment of pure weakness.

Glancing at the doorway one more time and the echoing silence, Everleigh slowly pulled herself out of bed and collected her clothes. Letting her fingers trail over his dresser, her eyes made contact with a photograph from months prior, before Cordelia and Chastity had come in the scene and it had been the three of them. Their faces radiated happiness that made her chest hurt, her fingers reaching out and turning the photograph over as she closed her eyes tightly once more.

She had never felt so stupid, like the little child she was. Doyle had never belittled her, and she had always made it a point not to let any romantic interest even remotely fabricate her thoughts when it came to their friendship. The bar had sounded delightful last night, a way out of her miserable hole that she had been in lately. But now it was clear that it had been a mistake, and she had never felt so small and insecure in her entire life. Now she was alone in the apartment that held his scent in every ounce of its confinements, her mind reeling with more memories of last night, desperately trying to taunt her as she slowly exhaled. Every inch of her felt utterly used, like a rag doll that had had its fun and now was time to throw away. She was the stepping stone, the equal toy that would give Doyle his leverage with Cordelia. Even if they hadn't gotten along, she provided him with the excuse that the bar wasn't a date. But it had been, and while he had sailed under the radar, Everleigh had gotten drunk and had let her guard down.

She pressed her fingers into her eyes, waiting until she could see spots as her body rocked ever so slightly with the emotion that she wasn't aware that she could possess. The rejection had filled the various longing voids that rested in her chest, and now that it was formal, that his rejection was fierce and commanding, Everleigh couldn't turn back. There was no hope that maybe in a week his irritation would calm down, that she would have a shot when Cordelia finally let him down fully. Now that was gone, and she was left with the antagonizing thoughts as they trembled through her head at full speed. She quickly wiped at her eyes, pulled in a deep breath, and attempted to square her quivering jaw. She had never wanted to erase a memory so bad before.

Angel's fingers filtered over the text as he silently read, his eyes struggling to keep up with the rapid turning of pages. He had been reading the text since around three in the morning, Chastity finally falling asleep against his shoulder as her notes slipped from her fingers. He had carefully gathered them and easily moved to his desk, his eyes never slipping up to check on the girl as he completely buried himself in his work. He could still hear her even breathing, could practically taste her pulse still beating in her veins.

Slowly pulling his thoughts away from the text, he allowed his eyes to drag up towards the girl curled up in the blanket a mere few feet from him. Her hair had fallen in front of her face, her soft breathing nearly like a lullaby as he forced his emotions back down carefully. After the slip up on the desk he hadn't so much as stayed close to her, only choosing to keep his distance for her own safety. He had gone through it with Buffy, and he wasn't ready to make that mistake again. He had almost killed her, had almost killed everybody, and Chastity was just as irresistible as his ex-girlfriend was.

But Chastity was different, and Doyle's words rang in his ears momentarily. Chastity had grabbed Angel by the horns and readily threw herself into a conflict that he knew she wasn't prepared for. She was ready to make Angel spill his life story, ready to confront him despite the warning that she should've gotten from when they rescued her. The last time Angel had seen that bold personality was the day that Everleigh joined Angel Investigations, and while Everleigh had been a little more fragile then, Chastity had been completely headstrong. She had made it clear from the beginning that she wasn't about to take any excuses, and that she was prepared to throw herself into the lifestyle that a mere hour prior had completely terrified her.

Angel half suspected that that was the reason that he had been so drawn to her. She possessed all the qualities of a slayer, yet lacked the necessary title that he seemed to be drawn to. Buffy had easily crept on his mind so many times, his irrational behavior to seclude himself and brood the seemingly only option that he threw himself into. But Chastity had provided a different light, one that he was drawn to entirely too quickly. Angel had tried to stop himself, had tried to pull himself away from the antagonizing surge he felt throughout his entire body, but he had managed to suppress it for entirely too long. After Buffy and Darla, Angel had learned to remain guarded and unemotional when it came to girls.

But Chastity was forcing a part of him out that he wasn't positive still existed.

His body moved of its own accord, his fingers reaching out and brushing her hair away from her face. He watched as her eyebrows creased once, twice, then slowly formulated to the light as her eyes slowly opened. She immediately squinted in the light, a groan escaping her lips as she attempted to pull the blanket back over her face. Despite the curtains being drawn, the light was still bright enough to make her eyes sting, and it took her a few moments to slowly crack her eyes open once more. She took in the look on Angel's face, slowly pushing her body off the uncomfortable couch and stretching her fingers upward. "Shit, I fell asleep didn't I? I'm sorry. I'm pretty unuseful that way."

Angel let out a light chuckle, her voice filled with the groggy anticipation of waking up to another day's work. It was the same case that she had worked on entirely too many times before, and as her bones slowly shook themselves awake, she gave him a sleepy smile. Angel returned it halfheartedly, letting his fingers crack of their own accord in the awkward air that seemed to sweep around him. "We've both been working hard. Sleep's good sometimes, and you looked like you needed it. Feel refreshed?"

Chastity let out a real chuckle, running her fingers through her hair. "As if. I've gone over two days without any sleep. A five hour nap barely compensates for anything."

He knew she possessed a point, and a slight smile dragged its way onto his face. His mind was swarming with entirely too many thoughts as her intoxicated scent flooded his senses. He subconsciously licked his lips, the blood trickling in her veins nearly forcing his face to contort. He had tasted her once, had been in that sweet divine world where he could hurt humans without feeling the need to repent. But now the guilt would swarm into his stomach, making its way to his mind and controlling him into the brinks of insanity. He would end up just like the raven haired girl that he had driven utterly insane so many years ago, and it brought a sickening sensation into his stomach. Subconsciously, he put a few good feet of distance between him and the girl at his side, the air finally exhaling between his lips.

By the time Everleigh had finally made her way back to the Investigations office, it was well after the sun had gone down. She had finally forced herself from Doyle's apartment a little after three, then had made sure to take a long swing towards the mall and people watch. Her eyes had lingered on the couples for entirely too long, and when the sickening feeling of a nasty hangover trembled into her body, she had forced herself into the food court for a quick dinner before heading towards the job that she had neglected.

Every part of her skin still crawled with his scent, her hour long shower that she had managed to steal not even beginning to remove it. It left her jaded, lost in her memories, and she found herself bumping into more and more people as she quickly walked down the sidewalk. Her head was pounding, her chest aching, and even as she stared up at the building with the lights precariously turned off, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was building out of her control. She hadn't liked control slipping from her fingers, and now she had lost it completely. It was in his hands, the ball in her court, and she felt dirty just thinking about it.

When she had pictured sex with Doyle, it wasn't drunk and the morning after certainly hadn't ended up like it had.

Rubbing at her temples hard, she found her way up the stairs, guided by the eerie lights that hung from the walls. She had never cared for them, but Cordelia had said that they added to the effect of what Angel Investigations stood for. While it was bemusing most days, today the low lighting was making her head ache even more, and her hand subconsciously reached for the stake in her boot. The door was still dark with the shade pulled above her, and it wasn't like Angel to leave the office in such darkness. Normally by now, all the lights would be on and the gang would be discussing their next motive in the case. Her stomach gave another antagonizing lurch, and she forced herself to calm down once more as she tried the door.

It slid open with ease, forcing her stomach to turn harder. Angel had only ever left the office unlocked if he was in a hurry, and judging the amount of paperwork that had been strewn around the floor, he had been. She bit into her bottom lip, her fingers groping at the wall for a light switch. She mentally counted to three before allowing her fingers to flip the switch up, the stake poised and ready to dig into her attack her.

To Everleigh's surprise, no attacker ran at her, ready to drive their teeth into her. She was utterly alone, the window cracked ever so slightly to let in the breeze. She could only presume that she had never closed it yesterday before she had left, and she let out a slow breath. A single address had been scribbled on the paper resting on the desk, her fingers shoving it into her pocket as she quickly made her way down the stairs once more, the office door swinging carelessly behind her.

It was easier on foot in Los Angeles to get around then by car, and as she neared closer to the address, her stomach spun quicker and quicker. She could practically hear war cries in the distance and she tried to fathom an explanation for them and the entirely too large barge in front of her. The ship was clearly used for cargo, and as her eyebrow slowly quirked upward as she watched the familiar shapes dance along the guardrail, her body freezing as his intoxicating scent floated down even from so far away.

Her memory threated to overtake her once more, but a larger, more forceful body ramming into her back brought her to her senses. She quickly whirled around, stake poised and arm coming up to punch at her attacker. The familiar face confused her, and Angel quickly grabbed her poised hand, running quickly up onto the ship and barking orders, forcing them all below deck. She stared at him in utter confusion, the half-demons around her unnerving as she tried to remember how to breathe.

So many people were packed into such a small space, and she could feel the decks rattling as Angel began fighting with a full blood just a few decks up. Doyle and Cordelia were at the top, watching as the glowing orb in the middle of the ship began to rise. Swallowing hard and feeling the power tremor from it, she quickly made her way up the stairs and towards where Angel had met the rest of the group. "What the fuck is that?"

"It's going to take out all of them. It destroys anything with half demon blood in it." His eyes darted quickly from Chastity's to Doyle's, his body tensing as he moved closer to the stairwell. Everleigh's were locked with Doyle's as he dared a step closer, his right hook coming up easily and knocking Angel straight out. Cordelia jumped back a few feet, her hands coming up and accusing words leaving her lips as Chastity quickly made her way down the ladder after Angel. Everleigh and Doyle's eyes locked again, and the look of realization flooded onto her face.

The orb was rising higher now, perfectly at the top and nearly towards full power. Her entire world had stopped, the morning forgotten as she stared at Doyle pleadingly. The words couldn't leave her trembling lips, her emotions threatening to break their barrier and escape. He took a step closer to her, begging her silently not to say the words that wanted to slip free. She didn't need to alert the others, not until he was ready for them to realize it. He was fairly sure that Angel already knew of his plans, but Cordelia and Chastity didn't have to know.

Her fingers reached out, brushing the worn jacket that had always accented his form. They dug in pleadingly, her emotions fully beginning to break as her words stammered. "Doyle, please…please don't do this. He has his own mistake to atone for."

He chanced a step closer, knowing that time was rapidly running out to shut off the machine. "Everleigh, I have to; it's my redemption. It's that or thousands of others die."

His eyes were begging her own, begging them to understand why this was so crucial to his existence. She swallowed hard, her eyes going glassy as the words slipped easily from her lips. He was the only person she had ever relied on so heavily, and she would be damned if she gave him up for selfish pride. "Let them die then—"

"I never knew you to be selfish, don't give me that perception now Even." Doyle's words were firm, yet lighthearted in their own right, his fingers giving her arms a strong squeeze. She knew he was merely trying to make her think differently of the situation, but the lurching in her stomach was enough to drive her over the edge of sanity. His look was telling her all that she needed to, and her head slowly nodded in understanding. A light smile broke out on his face, his arms pulling her closer for the familiar hug that she eagerly accepted. His scent filled the void that he had created once again, and her fingers graced every part of his jacket, chanced a feel towards his hair, and her mind quickly attempted to remember ever part of his scent. She knew in a short matter of minutes she would never smell it again, and as his body pulled away from hers, Everleigh found it entirely too hard to look away from his features. He gave her another lighthearted smile before stepping back fully, his eyes slowly turning away with his body as he quickly made his way over to Cordelia.

Everleigh could completely feel her walls crumbling as she moved back, watching as Doyle transformed and pulled Cordelia into the kiss that he had always sought. Her back hit the wall, slowly sliding down it as she took one last look at his face and at Cordelia, before she completely buried her face in her knees. It was a childish antic, accompanied by the way her hands flew up over her ears. They pushed hard, attempting to block out the sounds of her own pathetic sobbing, and the piercing scream that would forever haunt her deepest memories.

Chastity wasn't aware as to how they had gotten back to the office, her mind a fog as Angel kept her and Cordelia tucked closely to his side. Everleigh had trailed behind them, silent and distant as they walked. But that had been the last Chastity seen of her—as soon as they were near the office, Everleigh had disappeared and left them as a trio, their hearts in their chests.

His voice was rolling over the screen, smoothly as Cordelia pulled the blanket closer to her body. Her body had sunk into the couch cushions carefully, sinking into the indents that they had made entirely too many times over. Her eyes were trained on the screen, watching his every moment from that morning, when he rolled in looking entirely too irritated for any of them to stand. But Cordelia had always had a way of softening him up, and it brought a bleak smile to her face as Chastity watched her every movement.

The tense silence between them rolled on long after the tape had stopped, Cordelia reaching over to restart it. Angel watched his every movement carefully, as if memorizing it and battling with his own demons. He seemed to have forgotten his severe case of wanting to keep his distance, his fingers now rubbing soothing patterns in Chastity's knee cap. She barely registered his touch, the shock of death entirely too much as she watched the man on the screen in utter disbelief.

The same sensation ran through her body once more, an unnecessary anger to the girl who had mysteriously disappeared, who nearly cut anyone's head off that made their way near Doyle. She shifted slightly in her seat, her eyes narrowing at the screen as her arms crossed against her chest. "She should be here."

It was the first words of the night spoken between the trio, and Cordelia finally turned her eyes away from the screen. She adjusted the blanket once more, her eyes making contact with Angel's as she nodded ever so slightly. "Everleigh and Doyle were really close. I'm sure she's coping with it the best way that she can."

Her fingers reached out, patting Chastity's knee in a motherly fashion. She almost seemed appalled by the gesture, but placed a warm smile on her features as she read the heartbreak in Cordelia's eyes. Angel shot her a questioning glance, but read the look that he had received entirely too many times well. Excusing himself from the room, he made his way to the elevator, pressing the button and watching as the man's voice slowly faded from his hearing range.

The lower confinements were darker than normal, none of the lights present but a slowly flickering flame behind an open door. It lead to his bedroom, and he carefully stepped over the objects that had been thrown around carelessly during the day and more than likely during her haste. As he approached, the flickering flame gave way to a lump in his bed, completely curled up underneath the protective sheets. The awkward feeling trembled over his body once more, but he forced it down as he cautiously sank into a sitting position next to the bundle of blankets.

"He wouldn't have listened to you even if you tried."

The bundle shifted ever so slightly, Everleigh pulling the blankets even tighter to her as Angel's hand awkwardly landed on her arm, rubbing ever so slightly. She nearly pulled away from his sign of affection, her body and mind not connecting momentarily. She didn't want any form of it—she didn't deserve it. Her body and mind ached, her chest burning desperately as it fully connected with her as to why he was comforting her, as to why she was here. She had entirely too many regrets, and they were all spinning rapidly, taunting her and squeezing her throat until she had to gasp her air, tears of hatred running down her cheeks.

"I did try Angel. I nearly begged," her words were harsh and not directed towards him. She questioned momentarily how he had gotten down here undetected by her senses, but she had figured that she was in too much trauma to really fabricate the sound of the elevator behind him. She pulled in a deeper breath, mumbling a brief apology under her breath as she tried to formulate her thoughts. "I never even told him I loved him, Angel."

"He was your friend, you didn't want to jeopardize the relationship," his words seemed to come so easy, so brutal as she tried to breathe. The awkwardness flowing from him abruptly stopped as he leaned down slightly and ruffled her hair. He pushed his body up from the bed, eyeing the candle for a brief moment. "Everleigh, you know he wouldn't want you like this."

Angel left his words hanging in the air as he pushed himself away from the bedroom once more. He could hear her shifting, her fingers reaching up brush away more tears as he slowly turned his back towards the elevator wall. He watched as the candle flickered once, twice, then was blown out immediately in a moment of surrender.


End file.
